Curiosity and the Copy Cat
by Tiger Lily Burning Bright
Summary: Hatake Kakashi has a routine of sorts: train, go on missions, visit the memorial, and read Icha Icha Paradise. Then he finds his routine interrupted by a nosy, overly social civilian.
1. Chapter One

_I do not own Naruto or the corresponding characters. I do, however, own all original characters featured in this fanfic._

* * *

Kakashi sighed, looking up at the long flight of stairs above him. He had just returned home from a mission and, having reported to the Hokage, was eager to reacquaint himself with his bed. The mission, while successful, had exhausted the ninja. He felt entirely drained. Slouching, the masked shinobi forced himself up. The muscles in his legs protested, straining with each sluggish step.

To the common observer, he used no more effort than he usually but it was taking a toll on his willpower to keep going. Added to that, he had a mere three days to recover before he was expected to appear before the Hokage; likely yet another assignment waiting for him. The thought alone made Kakashi want to just sleep those three days away.

Once Kakashi had made it up the stairs, his half-lidded eye observed the scene before him: boxes, four cardboard boxes all stacked up in one wobbly tower. The legs underneath them shuffled slowly as their owner tried to maintain equilibrium. Thin arms revealed by rolled up sleeves trembled under the boxes' combined weight.

He watched the person struggle for a moment, his sense of good citizenship fighting with the more primal need to just _sleep_. Watching the boxes nearly topple over, though, ended the debate. Kakashi heaved another sigh.

The ninja moved swiftly and caught the top two boxes that were about to slip. Looking down, a pair of jade green eyes peered up at him.

"Thank you!" the woman said. "You have no idea the mess you just saved me from."

Her accent was different, unlike the one he was familiar with in Konoha. Kakashi detected it in the way she carried out consonants and stretched the vowels in her words. She was from the Land of Fire but somewhere in the more rural parts.

"It's no trouble," he said, eyeing her lazily. She was tall for a girl and lanky. While thin, she was far from athletic, Kakashi concluded, as she lacked any real muscle tone, but she spent plenty of time outdoors if her tanned skin was any indication. Her features were nothing worth remembering, pretty but a little on the plain side: high cheekbones, a longish nose, and a weak jawline. She had no definitive curves that he could see despite her form-fitting outfit. The most notable thing about her was her hair which was a bright auburn color, almost orangish, and long. Kakashi guessed it was dyed.

Definitely not his type.

"Mind carrying 'em into my apartment? It's just down the hall," asked the woman - who looked more like a girl, Kakashi noted upon further inspection. She could not have been older than twenty, just a kid.

Maybe that was why he agreed to help her.

"Which way?"

She grinned widely and turned toward the left. "Right this way."

It was the same way toward his apartment anyway, he reasoned. Kakashi followed her down the hallway, listening to her footsteps. She almost seemed to bounce though he could not see her; she was in his blind spot to the left.

"So, you're a ninja, right?" she asked casually.

"You could say that."

"I can tell by your forehead protector thing. All the ninja around here wear them, it seems."

"It's a symbol of the Leaf Village shinobi," Kakashi explained, slightly annoyed by her obvious observation.

"So that's what it is," the young woman mused out loud. "I've never really met a ninja before. You're the first. Not counting the guys at the front entrance."

"I'm flattered," said her first ninja dryly.

"It's really weird - being here. Going from no ninja at all to seeing y'all jumping all over the rooftops everywhere. Guess that's what you call culture shock, huh?"

"I guess so."Kakashi was only paying half attention to her babbling.

"I mean, I've only heard stories about you guys. Some of the craziest things. So I didn't know what to expect when I got here, you know? But everybody's been so nice. At least so far. I've only just gotten here today." And she continued talking.

Kakashi stopped listening, his thoughts wandering. He really did not care about this girl's impression of ninja. From the sounds of it, her head was probably filled with stereotypes and generalizations.

"Ah! Here we are."

Pulled back into reality, Kakashi glanced over at her lazily. A sense of dread filled him: they were right next his apartment. When had his old neighbor moved out? Never would Kakashi have thought that he would miss the quiet, noninvasive man. He must have moved while Kakashi was away on his month-long mission.

The girl put her boxes down on the ground next to her and fished her key out of her pocket. Slipping it into the knob, she unlocked the door and invited Kakashi inside.

The apartment was an unfurnished version of his own. It was small, room enough for a bed and a desk. There was already a long shelf running along the wide window that stretched across the wall opposite of the door. Unlike his, the floor was not carpeted and instead there gleamed polished wood.

"Put them wherever you like. I'll unpack them later," she told him.

Glad rid himself of the burden, Kakashi set them down next to the door. In a way, he was also relieved that his new talkative neighbor lived next door. It meant he didn't have to make a long journey to his apartment. Of course, before he could leave, he was intercepted by the civilian.

"I'm Hinamori Takara, by the way," she introduced herself and looked at Kakashi expectantly.

He rubbed the back of his head, fatigue eating away at his patience. "Hatake Kakashi."

"Nice to meet cha, Kakashi-san. If you don't mind me calling you that." She offered him a wide, bright smile that made Kakashi blink. It seemed genuinely happy but there was a tinge of nervousness to it.

"That's fine." He supposed he should be glad that she did not call him Hatake-san. She was young enough but he was not ready for that.

"I would offer you something to drink but..." Takara gestured around her.

"Seriously, don't worry about it." He doubted he'd accepted it regardless.

"Thanks again for helping me."

"No problem." Kakashi started to head for the door. "If that's all..."

"Actually..."

Kakashi stopped. Slowly, he looked at her over his shoulder. Takara met his stare sheepishly.

"You see, I have a mattress downstairs. And I don't think I can bring it back up by myself."

_Civilians_.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**So that's Takara. Pretty normal girl, just a civilian. I promise you that in no matter, shape, or form will she develop super awesome ninja powers. I'm pretty sure even pre-Shippuden Sakura could kick her butt. There is nothing mysterious about her. I wanted to write a Naruto fanfic with an average civilian and how they interact with shinobi. Thus this story was born.**


	2. Chapter Two

_I do not own Naruto. However, Takara is mine._

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The sound of footsteps was heard all throughout the day. Accompanied by shuffling and constant movement, the noise continued into the early evening. Kakashi could hear every move his new neighbor made through the thin wall that separated their apartments. His left Sharingan eye still closed, Kakashi's other bloodshot eye stared up at the ceiling as he laid in bed.

How could one girl be so_ loud_? He had never had this problem with his last neighbor. The nondescript man nearly went unnoticed if not for Kakashi's keen observance of his surroundings, and that was how the silver-haired ninja preferred it. He was really beginning to miss him...

Kakashi's sensitive hearing picked up the most distinct sounds regardless and he had learned to ignore them when trying to sleep but somehow, that girl managed to keep him up with her constant noise. Maybe he was still feeling the rush from late nights spent awake during watch, waiting for an enemy to attack. He had always been a light sleeper. The resounding din of clanging pots and pans certainly did nothing to help that problem.

Just as his eye was starting to drift closed, there was a loud thump. It was quickly followed by muffled cursing. She must have dropped something. Kakashi silently hoped that, whatever the item, it was breakable.

* * *

"_Motherfucker!_ Damn fucking pot!"

Takara bounced up and down on one socked foot while clutching the other. She swore to herself, spewing profanity. The young woman listed every word she could come up with and more. It was enough that had she done the same back at home, it would have earned a bar of soap in her mouth from her sister-in-law. Regardless of injury, physical or otherwise, no foul word was permitted in Kanna's presence. Even in her current pain, Takara relished the chance to swear without consequence. She added a few more in for good measure despite the sharp pain fading into an ache of its former self.

Suddenly, her foot slid along the slick wooden floor. Eyes widening, Takara had only a single moment of shock - enough time to let out a yelp. Before the panic could set in, she found herself on her back and looking up at the ceiling.

"Ow..." she said lowly. Takara sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, letting loose a soft hiss. She did not curse out loud this time. Instead, tears budded at the corner of her eyes. She took another deep breath to hold them back, breathing through the pain. A small sob clogged her throat but she swallowed it. Clenching her hand into a fist, she pressed it against her forehead and inhaled.

"What am I doing here?" she muttered.

The answer was apparent to her immediately: Takara had to move on and grow up. There was no doing that back at the farm. As far as she understood - and Takara would be the first to admit that she understood little about the world - one could not grow without change. Everything reeked of sameness where she had spent her entire childhood. While her family had questioned her sanity, to Takara it made perfect sense to move out.

Talking quietly, the auburn-haired woman coached herself. "It's okay, Takara. Just a bump in the road. It'll pass."

It took a while longer before she finally made herself stand. She allowed the initial pain to pass first. Once she did, Takara limped her way to her bed which constituted a single mattress on the floor. Flopping onto it, Takara grimaced at the lack of sheets. She had forgotten those in her luggage, having not thought of them. It would be a while before she would buy a new set; she did not have the funds yet. Just enough for rent and some food to last her another month if she stretched it enough.

From where she laid, Takara examined her new apartment. It had come cheap, considering its location in the middle of Konohagakure. She regretted the absence of a proper kitchen but at least she had her own bathroom. That was a first. Having unpacked most of her things, they were scattered across the room in their new stations. Books rested on the shelf by the window. On the wall by her bed, she had tacked up photographs of family and friends as well as various other pictures either torn from magazines or hand drawn by her little brother.

The apartment still needed more personal touches before she could think of it as home. She could only bring so many knickknacks; it had come down to the necessities. A farmer who lived nearby the Hinamori settlement had been kind enough to allow Takara to put her things among his wares for the Konohagakure farmer's market, and she had not wanted to take advantage of that generosity.

Looking around her, it finally sunk in: she, Hinamori Takara, was actually in Konohagakure, the big city! She had made it. A victorious smile stretched across her face at the thought. Energy singed under her skin, pumping into her racing heart as an unfamiliar feeling took over her. It was a strange mixture of excitement and fear. Thoughts buzzed around her head like a swarm of angry bees.

She would have to get a job soon. Tomorrow, Takara decided. But first she needed to get to know her way around, figure out where the best stores were and which places had the most affordable goods. She also had to meet the locals.

The prospect of meeting new people had Takara grinning broadly; she had grown up with the same people her entire life and was now meeting ninja of all people. _Ninja. _Takara had always harbored a secret, intense curiosity about the shinobi that protected her country. There were none to speak of in the tiny, remote village near the family farm, least of all the farm itself.

The thought reminded Takara of her new neighbor, the tall ninja with the weird silver hair. Hatake Kakashi. It was impossible to tell how old he was due to simultaneous the gray of his hair and the mask he wore. Strange as he appeared, he seemed nice enough. He had helped her after all. Maybe he would show her around if she asked him nicely enough.

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**Author's Note: Yeah, good luck with that, Takara. I almost feel sorry for Kakashi, unleashing the overly social girl on him. But it's just too much fun! I'm guilty of making intentionally making her slightly annoying. For a while, she will be a bit of a nuisance more than anything. **

**Thank you so much for the reviews and follows! I don't think I would have written this chapter so soon without them. Keep them coming.**


	3. Chapter Three

_I do not own Naruto in its original form. If I did, we would have seen Kakashi's face by now. Kishimoto, you tease! *shakes fist*_

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

The silver-haired jonin stirred underneath his covers; his eyes barely creaked open at the sound. After a silent pause, they drifted shut again. Kakashi's addled brain began to fall back into the fog of sleep when he heard it again. _Knock, knock. _A dark eye peeped open, bleary. His vision gradually cleared and his other senses slowly caught up with it.

The recent mission had taken a greater toll than Kakashi had anticipated. Instead of snapping into awakeness, it took time for the copy nin to rouse himself. He drowsily wondered how much sleep he got in that night.

Kakashi turned on his side, glancing toward his wide window. The sky was light but the clear blue of midmorning had yet to set in. It was still early, too early for him to be awake yet. Kakashi did not realize just how early it was until he took a look at his alarm clock.

It was six o'clock in the morning.

_What the_ hell_,_ the man thought. Annoyance prickled at Kakashi. That coupled with the utter lack of sleep made for a lethal combination.

_Knock, knock, knock._

Someone had a death wish.

Now Hatake Kakashi was more often than not a calm, fairly nonchalant person. He had been so since his early Academy days. It took quite bit to provoke the man. Even when angered, Kakashi rarely lost his temper. The ninja himself could count such occasions on one hand.

But there was an unwritten rule among Konoha shinobi, a common courtesy if you will: One did not pester a ninja the morning after a long mission. After a comrade woke up and left his or her home, feel free to harass them to the heart's content. The Hokage himself did not take to bothering any of his soldiers for almost any reason; it was important that they had their rest. Interrupting that unofficial time off was reserved for the most grave of situations. It was typically a matter of life and death.

_Mostly death_, Kakashi thought to himself darkly as the knocking persisted. For God's sake, even _Gai _did not bother him this early, and the man was up at the crack of dawn regardless of the day. This had to be an emergency._ It better be an emergency_.

The irritated man's feet swung out of bed, slipping on a pair of slippers as he went. He made his way over to the front of his apartment and opened the door.

* * *

Takara blinked, her loose fist inches from a full grown man's chest. While covered in a sleeveless tank top, it was still a very _tight _sleeveless tank top. She could make out muscle definition that was not apparent in yesterday's comparatively baggy ensemble.

_Wow. Never seen a real life six-pack before. _Takara was more impressed than attracted at this revelation. Her older brother, while physically strong and fit, did not have such defined muscles. None of the men in her life did. She wondered if all ninja were as toned as Hatake Kakashi.

Saving the thought for later, Takara smiled an eye closing smile. "Good morning, Kakashi-san," she greeted cheerfully. She was entirely oblivious to the resentment that practically rolled off of Kakashi in waves.

"..."

At his insufficient reply, Takara opened her light green eyes and looked at him curiously. Her smile faltered at what she saw. "Do you wear a mask even while you're sleeping?"

She had assumed that it was only during covert missions or something of the like, to keep his identity secret. Wearing a mask outside of assignments was just...weird. Her new neighbor was a strange guy.

Speaking of strange, there was a slight twitch to his right eye. Maybe he should get that checked. Before Takara could mention it to him, Kakashi spoke in a casual tone. "Is there something I can help you with, Takeira-chan?" _Again_.

"It's Takara," the gangly girl corrected automatically but she let the mistake pass with a smile. "I wanted to say thanks again for yesterday."

"I thought you already did," he drawled.

"I know," she said, rushing through her words. "But I thought maybe I'd pay you back with some breakfast this morning. To show you my appreciation."

Another bright smile. This one made Kakashi blink._  
_

"...do you know what time it is?" he said slowly, as if speaking to a child. It had been a long while since someone offered such a genuinely nice gesture and that in itself cooled the anger slightly. However, the fact remained: in what right mind did someone go calling on virtual strangers at six o'clock in the morning?

Takara recited said time matter-of-factly. He stared at her for a moment.

Fidgeting, the girl tilted her head to the side. The gesture reminded him of his ninken Bisuke oddly enough.

Kakashi leaned against the door frame and said calmly, "Don't you think it's a little early?"

_Take a hint!_

"No, not really," she said simply, chipper. "I mean, the sun's up and all."

_Barely, _Kakashi wanted to say but he held his tongue. He rubbed the back of his spiky-haired head, messing it up further. His usually half-lidded eye appeared more tired than usual as he sighed.

"Why, is this early in Konohagakure?" Takara wondered. At the look Kakashi gave her, she finally caught on. "Oh! Did I - were you?"

She flushed. The rosy hue of her cheeks matched the warm coloring in her hair. "Were you still sleeping?"

"Yes, I was actually."

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry," Takara quickly apologized. She bent over in a short series of small bows, invoking a sweatdrop from Kakashi. "I had no idea. At the farm, we're up before the sun is! See, this is actually kinda late for me. I wasn't really thinking. It's such a habit. I forgot that not everybody gets up at the same time. I'm not really sure what shinobi schedules are like anyway. Do you like, stay awake the entire night or something? I guess that would make sense. Cover of darkness and all..."

Again with the babbling. Kakashi was beginning to suspect that it was a nervous habit. A rather obnoxious one at that. When she started speculating on a ninja's lifestyle, Kakashi interrupted, "Don't worry about it."

"I'm really, really sorry." Takara facepalmed. She was beating herself up more than Kakashi could have, to his slight amusement. It would have made up for the early wake up call but...he was not quite happy yet.

Still feeling a little irritated at being woken, he added, "I just got back from a long mission yesterday and was tired, is all..."

Takara's brow furrowed. "How long a mission?"

"About a month, give or take," he said in a breezy tone.

"A _month_?! Oh God, no wonder you slept in late. You must be exhausted! I can only imagine how you felt yesterday -." She stopped, realization dawning. Her green eyes widened. "Oh, my gosh, and I made you do all that work! I'm sorry."

"Don't let it trouble you. I still managed to catch a couple of hours of sleep." Kakashi watched the guilt bloom across her features with a degree of satisfaction. This was better than if he were to yell at her.

Takara mumbled another apology. Her eyes were downcast.

"I suppose if you still want to get breakfast..." He waited.

"No, forget I mentioned it!" Takara held up a hand and waved it in dismissal of the suggestion. "You need your rest. We can do that some other time."

"I really don't mind," Kakashi said smoothly while simultaneously backing into his apartment.

"I insist." She looked up at him with large, imploring eyes. She spoke sincerely, "I really am sorry I woke you up."

There was a raw honesty to her voice that gave Kakashi pause. He did not linger long however.

"I'll see you around."

"Bye, Kakashi -" The door closed. "San," Takara finished lamely. She stared at the door for a while, conflicted. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed her shoulders back and walked down the hall towards the stairs.

_Konohagakure awaits._ She would make it up to Kakashi-san later.

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**Author's Note: So that's chapter three. I hope you guys liked it and could see both points of view well enough. Kakashi was a grumpy ninja and Takara is...well, she doesn't think things through. If I were Kakashi, I wouldn't be very forgiving either. Six o'clock in the morning.**

**What did you guys think? I am really interested in hearing what you have to say. And thanks for the reviews but sadly, I am a greedy bastard. I cannot get enough.**


	4. Chapter Four

_I own nothing, not even the device I am using to type this story. _

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Konohagakure was so still in the early hours of the morning. The bustling streets of yesterday were vacant and felt so empty without the daily crowds. The stores were not open yet. There was such a sense of quiet that it almost felt wrong to disrupt it. Only the sound of bird calls filled the air.

As she walked about the streets of Konohagakure, Takara saw this and her embarrassment increased tenfold. No one was up this early except for her. She continued to berate herself after the failed morning greeting. Why did she have to mention that she came from a farm? _So stupid! He probably think I'm some kind of country bumpkin now._

At least Kakashi-san was nice enough about it but thinking back, Takara remembered the irritation apparent in his eye. Stupid her was completely oblivious to it!

Back at home, it was not unusual to greet neighbors in the morning. Granted, most neighbors lived a few miles away, but occasionally there were some visits. Unexpected callers was a part of life there. It was how they checked up on one another, a sense of safety in the remote area. It was a comfort to the Hinamori family that their neighbors took them into accountability, especially after the incident a few years ago.

Takara tugged at a piece of her long, orangish bangs, twirling it into a tight coil around her fingers. Her gaze was downcast at the dirt road as she continued walking. Sighing, she looked around the village. _Everything is so different._ The farmer's daughter wondered how it was that a village - no, a city in Takara's eyes - like Konohagakure could be so silent while the small village back home hummed with activity at this time.

Her light green eyes roved over the tall buildings; they lit up as they took in their fill. Her previous giddiness was slowly returning to her. While the morning's awkward encounter still lingered at the back of her mind, Takara decided that there was no sense in regretting. She made a mistake and learned from it. Big deal. End of story. It never was her habit to think about the past too much; it did nothing for the present.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew past her. It carried her hair with it, pushing it behind her face before it fell back into place in a messier state. Takara's eyes widened. Whipping her head around, she barely caught sight of a green blur.

"Holy crap," she muttered in disbelief. Was that a _person? _

Soon another blur quickly followed, as bright green as the last. Prepared this time, Takara's vision just managed to register the actual figure of a human being. Though what human could run that fast was beyond her. Her eyes followed him as he ran down the street, barely keeping up.

A few seconds later, two people sprinted by her at a speed that was far easier to keep track of. It was still faster than Takara could ever run, and she had been the fastest in her family.

The boy and girl, both in their preteens, lagged behind the twin blurs of green. They faltered in their steps, slowing down. The girl bent over, hands on her knees, and heaved.

"Those two..." she said, sweat pouring down her face.

The boy who had long, dark pretty brown hair nodded in agreement. His pale face was flushed pink but he breathed at a steadier rate than his companion. In comparison, she was hyperventilating.

"Uh, excuse me?" Takara said tentatively. The preteens turned to her curiously. "Yeah, hi. I don't mean to interrupt..."

Takara wanted to smack herself. She sounded so shy and awkward - and around kids, of all people! That wasn't the Hinamori Takara her family and friends knew.

To her relief, the girl smiled politely at Takara despite her apparent exhaustian. She seemed to be the most normal person Takara had met yet since moving to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Not at all," the girl said, wiping sweat from her brow. Her expression was welcoming. "We were due for a break anyway."

Encouraged, Takara returned the smile. Her original question concerning possible open restaruants slipped her mind as a whole new plethora of inquiries took its place. There was no holding them back, not with Takara.

"Are you guys ninja?" popped out the question. _They're so young, though..._

An odd look crossed the girl's expression. "Yeah?"

"Thought so." Takara felt proud of her (rather obvious) observation. She pointed to her bare forehead. "I saw your forehead protectors. Are you training?"

"We are," the boy finally spoke, face stoic. His voice was smoother than any twelve year-old's Takara had ever heard. The civilian looked at him and froze.

_His eyes. _For a moment, Takara assumed he was blind but his gaze was far too focused, too direct. He was looking at her with pale, pupiless eyes that both frightened and fascinated her. Despite this, Takara could not look away as perturbed curiosity took over.

The pale-eyed boy raised a thin eyebrow at her. She only smiled back at him.

"Neji, Tenten!" a deep, male voice called.

Takara observed the strangest reaction: the two children/ninja simultaneously cringed. Confused, the woman looked toward the source of the voice. What she saw nearly made her eyes bug out.

She finally met the green blur. That blur had been a tall, grown man wearing a flamboyant green jumpsuit composed of skin tight spandex. He stood from on top of a roof, looking down at them with his hands on his hips. He might have been handsome if not for three things: one, the spandex; secondly, the unfortunate bowl cut; and then...

Takara unconsciously touched her eyebrow. For once, she was grateful for how thin they were.

"Lagging on your training, I see?" he said, disapproving. "Such unyouthfulness will not be tolerated!"

He then proceeded to _jump from the roof. _

A gasp escaped Takara and she quickly covered her mouth in horror, wide eyed. Her heart nearly gave out then and there as she watched him jump to his (presumed) death.

He landed neatly on his feet, unruffled. Takara let loose a sigh of relief, clutching the place where her heart still stuttered in relief.

The man continued speaking to the younger ninja. "Remember! If you fail to complete the three hundred laps around the village, it's five hundred push ups!"

Takara choked. _F-five hundred?! _Her entire body ached at the mere thought of it. She glanced at the two children to check for their reactions and found twin grimaces.

It was then that he took notice of her. He grinned broadly at her, showcasing a set of pearly white teeth. Takara swore that she distinctly heard a "ding" from them.

"And who have we here!" he exclaimed rather than asked. "A youthful flower in the spring time?"

Said flower shruggd, uncertain how best to respond. "If that's what you want to call me," she said weakly.

"Ah, but I would rather know your name," he said.

"Hinamori Takara. And you are...?"

"I, fair Takara-chan, am Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey!" Cue pose. "I am Maito Gai."

There was a resounding smack as the girl's hand met her face. The boy frowned slightly, pale eyes drilling into the older man.

Takara was quiet, considering the strange man before you her. She tilted her head thoughtfully, intrigued.

"That's...actually a pretty cool name. And how'd you get the nickname?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, there it is. Sorry that there is no Kakashi in this one. The only thing he'd be doing the rest of the day is sleep, eat, and read Icha Icha Paradise, I imagine. So instead, I let Gai tend to Takara.**

**Only he would be up as early as her, anyway, remember? And of course he would drag his team along for the extra training. Did I get their characters okay?**

**Don't worry. She'll be bugging Kakashi again next chapter.**


	5. Chapter Five

_Under no circumstance do I own Naruto. If I did...well, that's a story for another time. On with this one! _

* * *

"I still can't believe that you guys run hundreds of laps around the entire _village _every morning," Takara said with clear amazement, her jade green eyes wide. "And I thought we did hard work at the farm! Do all ninja train like that?"

Gai was practically preening under all of the girl's complimentary remarks. "Ah, but you see, Takara-chan, my training is extra special. Unlike anything other ninja go through! It is a combination of intense cardiovascular activity, strenuous muscle building, and constant training in taijustu. My squad undergoes a special regimen designed by yours truly."

Tenten grimaced, looking anywhere but at her sensei, while Neji's eyebrow twitched.

Puzzled, Takara's brow creased at an unfamiliar term. "What's taijutsu?"

"You've never heard of taijutsu?" One of Gai's students, a boy who looked very much like him, gasped. He had introduced himself as Rock Lee. "It's only the best form of ninja art there is!"

Neji scoffed quietly to himself. Fortunately, no one heard him otherwise he would have been in for an earful from two overly passionate taijutsu masters.

_Ninja...art?_ Takara blinked and suddenly had the mental image of Gai and Lee covered in paint, attempting to create a piece of art. The thought alone made the corners of her lips quirk and she quickly suppressed a giggle.

Somehow, she doubted that would go over well.

"Civilian, remember?" she said gently, pointing to her face for emphasis.

"Yeah, Lee," Tenten added in between mouthfuls. "You can't expect her to know these kind of things."

The ninja squad and Takara had settled for breakfast at a nearby restaurant. It was one of the few that opened so early and one where Gai and his team went frequently after morning training. It was a small, humble place where Takara instantly felt right at home. Soon after arriving, she relaxed in her seat and found herself talking freely with the friendly albeit strange ninja.

Gai was a rather...interesting man. That was the kindest word Takara could find to describe his eccentricities; they were more amusing than irritating - at least to Takara. Then again, she was not the one who was under his command. While he was nice to talk to, the civilian decided that she was fortunate not to have the man for a teacher. However bad her instructors were at the little farm school she attended, at least they did enforce Gai's teaching methods. She almost felt bad for his students who were so young, still children in Takara's eyes. They could not have been any older than her little brother Hiraku.

Well...except for Rock Lee. Oddly enough, he seemed to actually enjoy it. The boy embraced Gai's teaching philosophy to extreme levels, nearly hero worshipping the man. From the green spandex to the bushy eyebrows, Lee was like a miniature clone of his sensei.

_It's actually kinda cute, _Takara thought. The mutual adoration between the two was evident and, Takara found, touching. At first, she had even mistaken them for father and son.

When she asked them about it, they both became very emotional very quickly. Takara could honestly say that previously she had never seen a full grown man cry. She never thought the first time would pertain to a ninja of all people. Neither had she ever witnessed two males embrace each other passionately the way they did. Immediately afterward, they insisted that the "springtime flower" joined them for their morning meal.

Whatever her initial impression of shinobi, it had certainly undergone various shifts in pereception since moving to Konohagakure. Or "Konoha", as the locals called it. Takara felt like an insider already with this small piece of knowledge, to her great delight.

_Maybe I can make a life here._ Takara was hopeful.

She sipped on her water while Gai explained the technicalities of this "taijutsu", using terms and examples that were well beyond her. All she got out of it was that taijutsu was just a fancy word for physically beating the hell out of your opponent.

Initially, Lee only listened with rapt attention and nodded enthusiastically every few words. Soon the boy was adding his own comments and then the two were discussing the finer points of punching someone.

Tenten simply rolled her eyes but seemed to listen to their conversation regardless. Neji, on the other hand, ignored them all as he focused on his breakfast.

"Wouldn't you just clench your hand into a fist and hit them?"

"No, no, Takara-chan! There is a finer technique to it than that!"

"Yeah, Takara-san. There are tons of methods out there for taijutsu! It all depends on the amount force you want to put behind it." Lee demonstrated for her, tucking his fingers against his palm and curling them close into a strong looking fist.

Bemused, Takara imitated the gesture. "Like this?"

The two men (well, man and boy) objected vehemently. Even Tenten disapproved, shaking her head but with a slight smile. Neji only frowned over his cup of tea.

"Don't do that!" Lee almost shouted.

Gai was surprisingly patient despite her ignorance. "You shouldn't tuck your thumb in like that, Takara-chan. You could dislocate it that way. There's even a risk of breaking your bones."

"Oh, wow. Really?"

A solemn nod from Lee.

"Here." Gai reached over and readjusted her loose fingers. His large, muscular hand dwarfed hers. With a satisfied smile, the man nodded. "That's better."

Takara tightened her fist experimentally. Looking at Gai and Lee, she received thumbs up.

"Also keep your wrist flat and straight," Lee adviced, showing her. "Then you won't sprain it."

Curious, Takara asked, "Have you ever sprained yours?"

"A couple of times," the bushy-browed boy admitted.

"Ouch." She winced sympathetically.

"It's not so bad. That heals in a few weeks."

"Broken bones are worse," Tenten added, nonchalant. "But even those are only bad the first few minutes. The worst part is how _long_ it takes them to heal completely."

Lee agreed, going into a detailed story about a time he himself had fractured a bone in his arm. His peers listened attentively, unsurprised. Tenten herself began to describe a past injury of her own, comparing the two.

Takara quickly glanced at Gai to gauge his reaction. There seemed to be a lack of one; his face was oddly blank as his students casually discussed severe injuries. He was unusually quiet but calm.

_Is this...normal?_ Takara felt like she had stepped into an alternate world, a world where children were injured periodically and the adults in their lives barely batted an eyelash. She was not sure how she felt about it.

"I broke a bone once," she weakly volunteered. Four pairs of eyes turned to her and she turned self-conscious. "I fell out of tree and busted my leg. Was in a pair of crutches for months after that."

Neji scoffed lightly. "You fell out of a tree?" His tone clearly said, _That's it?_

"Hey, it was big tree," Takara said defensively. "I'm surprised I almost managed to make it to the top."

"Hn." Unimpressed, the Hyuuga carried on with his traditional breakfast of fish and miso and ignored her.

Lee, bless his heart, had a different reaction. "Months?" he gaped. "Man, I'd hate to be stuck in crutches for that long. Imagine what that would do to my training!"

Gai's mouth turned upward into a broad grin but it did not quite reach his eyes, Takara noticed. "We would work our way around it," he assured the boy. _Meaning it's a possibility_, the girl realized grimly, lips thinning.

The look Gai sent his student was protective yet resigned, like he already foresaw all of Lee's future injuries and knew there was little to be done. It was also purely paternal. So much so, that it reminded Takara of her own father.

Her heart squeezed at the thought of the man who raised her. She hadn't had the chance to miss him yet but watching Lee and Gai, Takara felt a slight longing for him.

"It would give you a chance to do some upper body work. You could even do laps on your hands," Takara joked, pushing the somber thought to the side.

A blazing fire suddenly burned in Lee's eyes. Looking at Gai, Takara saw a similar flame in his as well. It was the look of a madman.

_Uh-oh._

"Oh, no," Tenten groaned, burying her face in her arms.

"You're a genius, Takara-san!" Lee exclaimed.

"Brilliant idea!" Gai agreed.

Neji sent her venomous look that, coupled with his spooky eyes, made Takara cringe.

_I'm sorry,_ she mouthed. It did her no good. The boy looked ready to stab her and, eyeing the snapped chopsticks in his clenched hand, she had little doubt he would, given the chance.

"Come on, sensei. My breakfast! At least let me finish my breakfast." Tenten was begging. Her plate was only half finished.

"No time for that, Tenten!" Gai leaped to his feet, hands on hips. "The springtime of our youth will not last forever. We must take advantage of it now and train."

Lee readily jumped up. "I'm in, Gai-sensei!"

Moaning, Tenten reluctantly got up as well. Still shooting daggers at Takara, Neji followed suit.

Pointing towards the door, Gai declared, "Another hundred laps around the village! This time, on our hands!"

"Oh, my God," Takara said from where she still sat. _What have I done?_

The green, spandex wearing ninja flipped onto their hands in surprisingly graceful motions. They then proceeded to race each other out of the restaurant. A polite - although utterly bewildered - gentleman held the door open for them.

Takara looked at Tenten pleadingly. "I am _so_ sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"You think?" Neji said harshly. Not waiting for a response, he too balanced his weight on his hands and pursued the (completely insane) duo.

Fortunately, Tenten was more forgiving. "It's okay, Takara-san. Gai-sensei would have come with this eventually," she reassured the auburn-haired girl.

Guilt obvious, Takara said, "It was really nice meeting all of you, though. I hope we can all do this again some time."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Do you want me to save your food for you?"

The kunoichi waved a hand dismissively, smiling, and told her not to concern herself despite Takara's repeated entreaties. Sighing, the older girl eventually gave up.

"And tell Neji-san I said sorry. Again." For some reason, it felt inappropriate to refer to the Hyuuga by any other suffix. Even if he was likely five years her junior. _Because he's scary, that's why._

Noticing the honorific, Tenten smothered a slight smirk. "Will do."

With that, the brunette left - on her hands, of course.

After a moment of silence, Takara slumped in her chair and sighed. What an eventful morning.

Someone cleared their throat behind her. Turning, the girl saw the waitress who brought them their (unfinished) meals and smiled.

"Hello."

The woman raised an eyebrow, knuckles on hips. She jerked her chin at the dishes. "You realize those still have to be paid for, right?"

"Eh?"

* * *

This time, Kakashi was fully awake when there was a tapping at his door. The shinobi looked up from his copy of _Icha Icha Paradise_ and, recognizing the knock from that morning, sighed. _Maybe if I just ignore her..._

The knocking continued. She would not stop anytime soon, he realized. Of course it wouldn't be that easy. _This girl is almost as bad as Gai._

God forbid that those two ever met. Had Hatake Kakashi been a lesser man, he would have outwardly shuddered at the thought.

Uncrossing his legs, Kakashi snapped the book closed and rose to his feet. A considerably shyer Hinamori girl was waiting outside for him. Looking up at him, she smiled a slightly nervous smile at his masked face.

"Yes, Takeira-chan?" Kakashi said with faux politeness.

"It's Takara," the girl muttered but didn't seem to take too much offense. She fidgeted, shuffling her feet. "I know you probably don't want to see me after this morning - well, earlier this morning. Way, _way_ earlier this morning. But I just wanted to apologize again."

Had they not already been through this? Kakashi felt a little impatience nip at his nerves. He was just getting to the best part of his book.

"You don't need to apologize," he said, trying to rush the conversation. Junko was waiting for him.

"I wanted to repay you with some breakfast," she continued firmly, meeting his gaze directly. She lifted a wrapped bundle. "They're leftovers, so it's the least I can do. A pretty crappy apology gift, I know. But it's what I have and I want you to have it."

Kakashi held up his hands. "That's not necessary -."

"Take it," his neighbor insisted, literally pushing the food into his grasp.

"Seriously, I don't want it," the man protested.

A determined glint appeared in those green eyes. He was almost reminded of a rival ninja before a fight, as peculiar as the thought was. She was only a civilian.

"It's free food. You can't get any better than that."

That logic managed to convince him, being the cheapskate that he was. Kakahsi closed his mouth and held the takeout box closer. He looked down at the girl that he was beginning to recognize as pushy.

"Thanks."

She smiled, a trace of triumph in her eyes before it dimmed.

They stood there awkwardly.

"Anything else?" the silver-haired ninja prompted.

"Uh, yeah..." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Did you know that if you tuck your thumb into your fist, it might get dislocated when you hit someone?"

Kakashi blinked, raising an eyebrow. That was beyond basic academy information; it was common knowledge.

"Really?" He humored the girl.

"You can even break it," she added, quite serious.

"You don't say."

The girl nodded. "Just thought you should know for, like...uh. Taijutsu?" Takara tested the word, hoping she said it right.

"Thank you for telling me that. I'll keep it in mind." Sarcasm spiced that statement, adding a subtle bite to the words. He was slightly amused when she did not seem to catch on.

Takara beamed at him, pleased. "I think that's about it. Nice seeing you again, Kakashi-san."

"Later," he said lazily before closing the door shut. _Thank God._

Kakashi looked down at the package he held. It was still warm in his hands. His nose twitched as a inhaled, that sensitive sense of smell catching a whiff. His stomach growled in response.

_Well, I guess it can't go to waste... _Kakashi mused before settling down at his desk.

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh, man. This chapter was too much fun to write. For a moment, I was tempted to leave it at Takara getting stuck with the bill but I promised there would be Kakashi in this chapter, so here he is. A thought just occured to me: the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach! XD That's gotta count as a development in their relationship, right?**

**In conclusion: Gai and Lee are getting attached to Takara, Tenten kinda likes her, and Neji dislikes her already. And Takara got a little exposure to that shinobi lifestyle. A little bit of an eye opener for her.**

**Thanks for reading! And you guys are just spoiling me in your reviews (I'm looking at you, ravensandrats). Seriously, I'm going to get a big head at this rate!**

**...Keep it up. ;p**


	6. Chapter Six

_*sigh* No, guys, Naruto is still not in my posession. Kishimoto-san is rather attached to his creation, it seems._

* * *

Balancing the entirety of his weight on a single finger, Kakashi pushed himself up from the hard, wooden floor and subsequently lowered his body. He repeated the motion over and over again, silently counting. The strong muscles in his arm tightened, flexing, with every pushup while the other was pinned behind his back.

_One ninety-one, one ninety-two, one ninety-three..._

The morning's sunlight filtered in through his wide apartment window. After his alarm clock had woken him up, Hatake Kakashi had immediately went into his morning exercise regimen that he neglected the day before. His muscles still ached slightly from his mission but they were a mere echo of its former pain. Today the copy nin took it easy on himself and completed three quarters of his daily quota. By the next day, Kakashi imagined, he would be back to his usual exercise routine.

Footsteps were heard, followed by further shuffling sounds. There were light thumps and what sounded distinctly like muttering. His new neighbor was up and about already.

Kakashi sighed in mid pushup. He had almost forgotten about the gangly, awkward girl that had moved in next door. At the rather loud reminder of her existance, the copy nin wondered just how _this _morning would turn out compared to yesterday's.

* * *

Takara stepped out of the bathroom, steam trailing behind her as it escaped from the tiny closet of a room. She gingerly rubbed the ends of her long, auburn hair dry with the only towel in her possession. It came down to her waist and was a pain to manage but was her one source of girlish vanity, so Takara refused to cut it. Times like this, though, she reconsidered as the wet hair clung to her body and stuck to her skin._ It always takes forever to dry!_

Because of it, she was often mistaken for "pretty", at least as she got older. However, Takara later realized that the flamboyant color in itself was what caught those second and third glances. The long length added to the illusion of femininity she possessed that shattered upon further inspection. Takara did not go to many lengths to uphold it beyond the arduous care of her hair.

Her father loved it. When sitting next to her on the porch, he would run his hand over it and always tell her how long and pretty it was getting. _Just like your mama's_, he would say on rare occasions with a wistful sigh before he caught himself.

None of her brothers were immune to the resemblance either. Hotaka, the eldest in their generation, would cast quick, secret glances at it before shaking his head and carrying on with his work. At times, Takara found him staring at it from a distance, frowning. Hiraku liked to draw it first when he sketched her, always complaining that he couldn't find the right colored pencil for it. _It_ _just has so many colors in it, nee-san_, he explained once when she asked him about it during a particularly long posing. Riku was the worst of them all. Even as a baby, he tugged and pulled at it until it almost came out at the root and Takara cried out; he always liked playing with girls' hair. Years later, at eight years-old, he still insisted that she wore it down for him and continued to twirl it around his pudgy fingers.

Yes, her hair was of great significance to her family. Takara was, after all, the only child who inherited her mother's unique hair color. For that reason alone, Takara cherished it.

The girl glanced at the curtainless window, feeling slightly exposed in her boy shorts and tanktop. While she changed in the bathroom last night, her body was still far too damp for further layers. She hated the feeling of cloth against wet skin. Now she wished she did.

"What I really need are some blinds," she said out loud to herself.

The mini shopping list that she had composed in her head was expanding the longer she lived in Konoha: Sheets, a portable stovetop, some proper furniture, curtains, towels, wash cloths, _toilet paper_. Takara had taken for granted the small things, little creature comforts at home, that were proving to be a big hole in her already small budget. The conditioner prices alone were going to cost her, Takara had realized in the shower while washing her ridiculously long hair. Thinking about it now made the girl grimace.

When planning her move, she had forgotten to take into account the additional costs of maintaining a household. Takara had been in such a rush to simply _get out_ before one of her relatives changed mind. She frowned pensively as she ran a brush through her hair in long, quick sweeps. Unbidden, the memory of her announcement came to mind.

_"What do you mean you're moving out?" Kanna demanded. An expression of hurt flashed across her face before it was quickly replaced by her more typical disapproving one. Takara found that it was directed at her more and more since Hotaka-nii-san's new wife moving in with the Hinamoris, much to the younger girl's discreet annoyance._

_In response, Takara shrugged. "Just that," she explained. "I think it's time for me to get a place of my own. I'm old enough."_

_"You're _eighteen_!" Kanna argued. Hotaka and their father were oddly silent throughout this conversation._

_Funny. Weren't they supposed to be the men of the house? Ichiro was the head of the family while Hotaka was due to take their father's place. Neither were getting any younger. How was this any of Kanna's business anyhow?_

_"You're still too young for such a big decision."_

_"I'm old enough to be thinking of my own place. It's just an idea."_

_"Where are going to live? You can't go to the village. What kind of work could you possibly get there? Have you even thought about the money?"_

_Takara hated this, this woman who had just shown up in their lives. Who did Kanna think she was? She acted as the Hinamori matriarch already and she had only lived with them for mere months. What did she know about their family, really? What made her think she could dismiss Takara and then tell her what to do?_

_Lips tightening, Takara clenched her hands under the table where no one could see them. _And why do Nii-san and Tou-san always take her side? _And after everything Takara had done for this family..._

_"I'll find a job," Takara said evenly, face carefully schooled into a pleasant one. "I already got some money saved up." _

_"You won't find anything for farmers there."_

_"I wasn't planning on being a farmer - or a farmer's wife, for that matter." A low blow, one that Takara would later regret, but at that moment it gave her a cruel sense of satisfaction when she saw their immediate reactions, the varying degrees of hurt in them._

_Hotaka's eyes hardened. "I didn't realize that the farm wasn't good enough for you anymore," he said coldly._

_Takara stiffened. Her eyebrows met in an angry line and she opened her mouth to retort._

_Trying to diffuse the situation, Ichiro cut in, "No one is making you leave. You can stay here as long as you like."_

_"But I can't stay here as long as you like. How long would that be, Tou-san? Huh?" Takara lashed out him, the easiest target. She verbally assaulted the man who had never once raised so much as a voice to her. "Forever? I can't do that. I can't just stay in this house where I'm a constant reminder!"_

_"Takara!" Hotaka reprimanded._

_"Shut _up_, Hotaka!" she snapped furiously. "I'm moving out and that's the end of it. And I'm not living in Aya."_

_"Where are you going then?" Kanna interrupted, frowning at her with those disapproving eyes. Takara glowered back, meeting them straight on. She was visibly shaking but her voice did not falter._

_"I'm going to live in Konohagakure."_

_Kanna gasped, raising her hands to her mouth. The shock was evident in her father's face; he stared at her in utter astonishment._

_And Hotaka...Hotaka exploded._

_"You are _NOT_ going anywhere near that place!" he shouted, slamming his hands on the table. Kanna and Takara both jumped._

_"Watch me!" _

_The man nearly snarled. "Like hell I will! I'll lock you in your damn room first, so help me God."_

_It would be a lie if Takara said that she was not intimidated by the sudden aggression displayed by her usually quiet, calm older brother. But there was nothing quiet or calm about him then. That did not stop the sudden need to rebel that all teenagers felt._

_"You can't do that."_

_"Watch me," he shot her own words back at her._

_"I'm not a child."_

_"Yeah you are, if you're stupid enough to even think about going there. There's no way I'm letting those killers around my little sister." His eyes were wild with rage._

_"A little late for that, don't you think?"_

_Hotaka leaped to his feet suddenly. His hand rose and Takara flinched._

_Their father shouted. "Hotaka, _enough_!"_

_His eyes widened, coming back to himself. He stared at his hand as if he had never seen it before. Regret washed over his expression. He looked at his wife who was in tears after witnessing what almost tranpired._

_"Kanna..." He visibly swallowed. "I'm sorry."_

_She only nodded her head, wiping at her eyes. "I know."_

_The man took a deep, shaky breath. "Tou-san..."_

_Ichiro's lips were thin. "Apologize to your sister."_

_"Takara..."_

_His younger sister narrowed her eyes at him. "Save it."_

* * *

She turned the key the keyhole and slid it out. Jiggling the knob, Takara nodded when she was satisfied that it was securely locked. Yesterday she had forgotten and was grateful that no one broke in. Then again, there was nothing of real value to steal. It was still hassle that came with moving to the city.

Hearing the swing of a door, Takara peered to the side. Her face instantly brightened at what she saw.

"Good morning, Kakashi-san!"

The man gave her lazy wave, eye focused on an orange-covered book. "Morning."

"What'cha reading?" Takara was curious about what a ninja would read in his time off. "Battle tactics? An enemy village's profile? Something on taijutsu?"

"Just a novel I picked up," he said, most of his attention riveted on said novel.

_Oh_. Takara's cheeks burned, embarrassed. "I guess there's that, too."

"I guess so," Kakashi agreed.

"Sorry."

"You do that a lot," he observed.

"What?" Takara asked, confused.

"Apologize. It's kind of annoying."

"I'm sorr -" She cut herself off and chuckled quietly, self depreciating. "Heh. Looks like you're right. I don't usually do that. I'm just...er, kinda new at this."

"Hmm, what's that?"

"Meeting new people."

Kakashi lifted his eye from the page briefly. "My, that must be difficult."

"It's actually not so bad. I met some of the nicest people yesterday. I don't think it went too badly. Well, mostly." She still felt bad for instigating that overly brutal training session during breakfast.

"Good." His only visible eye crinkled in what Takara hoped was a smile. It was difficult to read Kakashi when he wore that mask. Maybe that was why he wore it so often, but what did he have to hide?

"Well, see ya." The Konoha ninja walked down the hallway. He heard clumsy, loud civilian steps behind him and soon there she was walking next to him.

"You're up earlier than yesterday. Did you get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, I did." _No thanks to you._ "Thanks for asking."

"Sure. How 'bout that breakfast?"

"Pretty good."

This made Takara smile broadly, pleased. "Sorry that - ummm. I know that it was only leftovers but since there was a lot, I figured I would share. You see, I was eating with those people I mentioned and they couldn't finish it all. There was a...uh, well let's just say it was an emergency." Takara did not mention being footed with the bill; she did not want to make Gai and his team look bad. "There were all kinds of different food left over, which is good, I guess, 'cause I don't know what you'd like. So there must've been something you'd eat. Did you have a favorite?"

Kakashi answered laconically, subtly hinting at his lack of interest. "The miso was okay."

"Wasn't it?" Encouraged, Takara continued. "I think I liked the eggs best. They really know what they're doing on the egg front. You should definitely try some. Maybe we could go together some time. We could have breakfast with the same people I ate with yesterday, if they're still around. You'd like them. They're so nice - and really funny."

Oh, yes, because he would love nothing more than to hang around with a bunch of civilians. _Not_.

"Hey, we could go right now! Are you doing anything?" She looked up at him with big, bright green eyes. Once again, he thought of one of his ninken when he was a puppy.

Kakashi sweatdropped. He rubbed the back of his wild silver hair, resisting the urge to sigh. "Sorry, Takeira-chan, but -"

"Takara." Her smile noticably fell.

"I already have plans," he partially lied. He was thinking about visiting the memorial after grabbing a bite to eat, preferably without a certain civilian.

"Oh, okay." Her smile returned, a weaker version of its original. "It was pretty sudden anyway. Another time, 'kay?"

"Sure, maybe," Kakashi said noncommitedly, taking advantage of his long legs to move ahead of her. Still, she pursued him.

At his glance, Takara explained, "I'm going the same way."

They walked down the stairs step by step, Kakashi resisting the urge to use his ninja speed to escape. The little civilian girl continued pestering him with questions.

"How long have you lived in Konoha?"

"My whole life, pretty much."

"Oh, same here! Uh, I mean I lived in one place my entire life, too. Until now, obviously. How long have you been in this apartment?"

"A while."

"Do you like it?"

"It's fine."

"Was it hard when you moved out from your family's house?"

"...not really."

"Ne, Kakashi-san, how old were you when you moved in here?"

"About thirteen."

"Woah, really? Damn -" _ah, to swear without Kanna on her getting on her case_ "- that's young. Same age as one of my brothers, actually. Do you have siblings?"

"No."

"I have three. All boys. Can't imagine what it's like to have none. A lot quieter, that's for sure," Takara said thoughtfully, crossing her arms as she walked. She glanced at her companion. He was still looking at his book but his eye was not moving, she noticed.

"Do you like to read a lot?"

"Sometimes."

"Ah. Me, too. If I'm in the mood. What kinda books do you like to read?"

"This one."

"Um...any others?"

"Not really."

"That sounds like it would get boring."

"Actually..."

A small victorious look flashed across Takara's face. _Aha! There it is._ After some prodding, she finally found a topic that her neighbor would get into. It only took a little more poking around than usual but she got it.

Unfortunately, they were already nearing the exit door. Kakashi almost heard the hallejuah chorus.

"Looks like this is where we part," he said.

"Looks like it." Takara's shoulders drooped. Just when she getting somewhere, too.

She followed him out the door. The street stretched out in front of them, empty but for a few milling villagers. Kakashi was already walking away.

"Kakashi-san!" she called.

The man's head turned over his shoulder as he stopped midstep, eye half-lidded.

"Do you know where the post office is?" Takara silently prayed that it was in the same direction he was going. She did not want to be alone in the large village.

He jabbed a thumb in the opposite direction. Brow furrowed, the followed his finger and frowned. Great.

"Thank you -." When she turned around, she stopped.

Hatake Kakashi was gone. Scanning the road ahead, Takara could not find a head of silver hair that surely would have towered over the other villagers.

* * *

**Author's Note: Aww, poor Takara. She just wants to be friends with you, Kakashi! She's still new in town and doesn't have anyone to rely on. That's scary for little civilians.**

**We got a little family drama in here. I decided that you guys should know a little bit more about our main character, like what her family is like and such. Also, you got a glimpse of Takara when she isn't being so nice. She was a brat, and she knows it, too. But a whole lot more goes into it than that.**

**I hope this chapter wasn't too Takara-centric. Can't really tell if you guys like Taka-chan enough yet to hear her life story.**


	7. Chapter Seven

_I do not own Naruto or its awesome characters. I do, however, own Takara and her dysfunctional little family. Aren't I lucky? _

* * *

After spending most of the day before enclosed in her apartment, Takara was not prepared for the crowds that made up the busiest of Konoha's streets. Caught among them, the auburn-haired girl could only stand motionless as she took in her surroundings with wide eyes. People milled in and out of the various shops. There were more than Takara had seen all at one in her life.

It was loud, too, louder than what the girl was used to on the remote little farm she grew up on. All the villagers' conversations convened to create a singular voice, the voice of Konohagakure. It seemed to be telling her something: _You're just a little farm girl, a country mouse among the city rats. How can you hope to survive?_

Hand trembling, she lifted it to touch her hair. She tugged on a piece of her bangs, clutching it between her fingers. Her heart stuttered in her chest, beating rapidly as it picked up speed, and her body hummed with nervous energy. Takara never imagined that a person could feel so alone when surrounded by hundreds of people, let alone her.

A flash caught the corner of her eye. Whipping her head around, Takara managed to catch another glimpse of the ninja jumping across the rooftops. They leaped from one to another, graceful in their movements. She watched in quiet awe, slightly opened mouth. Takara's mind went back to the few ninja she had already met personally.

They were good people. Perhaps it was naive of her to think so after only having met them, but somehow Takara always had a good sense of people. A woman's intuition, she supposed. "Just lucky guesses," her brother Hotaka had called them. All the same, she was right on multiple occasions. (The matter remained that Takara's "lucky guesses" had saved Ichiro from a few bad business deals in the past). Some people just _felt_ right to her.

Gai felt right. His entire team felt right, even Neji for all heebie jeepies the pale-eyed boy gave her. Her neighbor Kakashi felt alright to her also, although Takara got the sense that something was a little off there. They were all good people, whatever their profession. It was hard to believe that they were trained killers but honestly, the thought did not perturbed Takara as much as it should have. Her intuition/guesses/instinct - whatever you wanted called it - told her as much, and Takara listened to her emotions. After all this time, they had yet to steer her wrong.

Honestly? Konoha gave her a good feeling, too. It was a little scary, yes, intimidating as well. Definitely. But it was not the hostile place as her family had envisioned it be. Feeling a little smug at the thought, Takara released the lock of hair and slowly smiled.

* * *

"Why, if it isn't Hatake Kakashi!" a deep, jolly voice called. Gai appeared in a blur of green beside him, grinning.

First an annoying civilian girl in the morning and now an equally if not far more frustrating ninja in the afternoon. Just what Kakashi needed to complete his day.

"Gai," the masked ninja said by way of greeting, barely glancing at his fellow jounin.

"It's been quite some time, my eternal rival. Too long since our last match! Let us succumb to our youth and have ourselves a heated battle!" He quickly went into a battle pose, prepared to take on the legendary ninja. "If you win, I will do a thousand jumping jacks on the edge of a bridge!"

Kakashi did not particularly care to "succumb" to anything with Maito Gai. He continued walking and passed by the over eager man, dismissing the offer. "No, thanks."

The blunt rejection did nothing to deter Gai, used to it as he was. If he gave up so easily, he would not have been worthy a rival of Hatake Kakashi. Gai persisted, "Two thousand jumping jacks!"

"I'm not really mood today, Gai."

Overbearing as he was at times, even Gai knew when to take a hint. The challenging grin on his face faded but only slightly. Following after Kakashi, Gai easily caught up and kept pace with his long legs.

"And how was the mission?" the green ninja asked in a casual tone of voice. His dark eyes sent Kakashi a discreet, searching glance. He did not seem too worse for wear; there were no significant physical injuries to be seen. But it was not the bodily afflictions that Gai worried about when it came to his friend.

Kakashi paused; his hands stuck in his pockets. He looked at Gai apathetically. "It was fine."

Eye contact was good, as was the answering in full sentences. At his worst, Gai would not see Kakashi for days after a return from a mission. Though it went unsaid, Gai had grown concerned when his silver-haired rival went unseen the first day after returning from his month long assignment. He had spent the better half of the afternoon searching for Kakashi. Seeing him now, in a better state than anticipated, made Gai relax. Slightly.

"That's good to hear!" Gai said exuberantly, genuine in his reply. "It is a shame you could not join my team and I for training yesterday. We met the most youthful flower during our morning excursion."

"Oh?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Could it be that you've finally taken an interest in someone?" If so, Kakashi could not help feeling a little sorry for this "youthful flower". _Poor girl. _Gai was a good man, whatever his eccentrics, and deserved a chance but he could be much.

Gai laughed heartily. "Not quite. She is perhaps a little too youthful for one such as I. She has just begun to enter the springtime of her youth, only a few years older than my dearest student Lee."

Kakashi shrugged, disinterested. "Wouldn't stop me."

A glint appeared in Gai's eyes; he grinned. "Oh hohoho. Kakashi, you dog. A sly one, aren't you?"

The other man did not reply. His dark eye wandered, taking in the trees that surrounded them. It was a nice, familiar sight after weeks away from the village. He felt Gai's eyes on him, observing. Unknown to Kakashi, Gai was thinking.

Maybe someone like Takara-chan would be a good influence on Kakashi.

* * *

**Author's Note: Meh, I'm not too happy with how this chapter turned out but, considering what was accomplished, it wasn't too bad. What did you guys think? Gai brought up Takara but Kakashi has yet to connect the dots. For the record, I want to make a point of saying that at this point Gai isn't planning on setting them up. He doesn't know Takara well enough for that. Note: he thought of someone_ like_ Takara would be good of his rival. Review and tell me what you think.**

**Seriously, guys. Reviews. I'm looking at you, followers!**

**I didn't do too much with Takara in this chapter. Figured you guys would not want to follow her around while she shopped. She wouldn't be running into any characters or people of real significance to the story.**


	8. Interlude: One

**Author's Note: Ju****st a little interlude to act as a filler and also show the passage of time. Thanks for the reviews, for I am a greedy, greedy author.**

* * *

_Naruto is not mine. However, this little fanficlet belongs to me._

* * *

**Day 4**

A bright smile. "Good morning!"

"Ah, morning."

"Still reading that book, I see."

"So I am."

"Must be a pretty good book."

"It is good."

"What's it about anyway? H-hey! Kakashi-san, wait up!"

* * *

**Day 6**

"Hi, Kakashi-san. Guess what I learned yesterday?"

A disinterested glance. "What's that?"

"Did you know that a group of ninja are called a _stealth _of ninja? Or an ambush of ninja. I think stealth is a better fit, don't you?"

"Yeah...I suppose it is."

A fading smile.

* * *

**Day 9**

"Good morning, Kakashi-san."

"Hello, Takeira-chan."

"Takara." An automatic correction, now a part of her morning ritual.

"Oh, sorry. I forget."

"Mmhmmm." A disbelieving look. "Doing anything interesting today?"

"Not really."

"Wanna catch something to eat later then?"

"'Fraid not. Something might come up."

"Oh... Okay."

* * *

**Day 12**

"Morning, Kakashi-san! How are you this morning?"

"You said morning twice."

"Huh? Oh. Yeah, I guess I did. How are you anyway?"

"Good." A crinkle of his eye.

"Ne, Kakashi-san?"

"Hm?"

"What do you do all day anyway?"

"Train, mostly."

"Oh, cool! I actually heard the other day that there were these training grounds. Is that where you go?"

"At times, yes."

"Hey, think I can come watch some time? I'm kinda curious what ninja do for training."

_No._ "Mm, sorry, Takeira-chan. It can be dangerous for civilians."

"...it's Takara."

* * *

**Day 14**

"Morning, Kakashi-san."

"Morning."

"..."

"..." A glance sent her way.

"See you later."

"Later."

This time, Kakashi watched the civilian leave.


	9. Chapter Eight

_Nope, still don't own Naruto._

* * *

The sky lightened gradually as the early hours of the morning crawled by sluggishly. Soon there was the sound of singing birds heard outside the apartment complex, loud in the stillness. Pale sunlight illuminated his tiny, cramped apartment and found the copy nin awake and mildly confused.

There were no unwanted noises that morning. No crashes, no thumps, no loud civilian footsteps could be heard through the joint wall between their two apartments. The beginning of the day was curiously absent of any flying curses.

Kakashi stood quietly for a long moment, hands tucked into the deep pockets of his black pants. He silently contemplatdd the motionless door that lead into his little civilian neighbor's apartment. He waited for it slam open with her characteristic enthusiasm, for smiling green eyes to greet him as they did every morning since the day she moved in.

Realizing his own thoughts, Kakashi's lips curved in a self depreciating manner. It seemed he had gotten used to having Hinamori Takara around. He was not sure how he felt about that.

"Hm..." Well, this was certainly an interesting development. One that the often times prepared shinobi did not anticipate.

He cast another glance at the immobile door before walking down the hall. There was a new mission waiting for him after all.

* * *

The wizened old man shook his head. "I apologize, Hinamori-san. But we have no positions available. At least, not without..."

"Not without any references," the young girl finished for him; there was a tightening to the corner of her eyes as she resisted the urge to narrow them. Her lips pressed together in a firm line but were forced to spread into a thin, strained smile. "I know. Thank you anyway, sir."

As a retired shinobi, he was quick to pick up on different facial cues that hinted at an enemy's next move. This girl was clearly frustrated but resigned, calm. She would not start an argument with him. To himself, the man admired her self control and overt politness in the face of failure. He knew fully seasoned ninja who had more difficulty keeping their composure compared to this civilian.

He supplied, "Perhaps there is something at the other restaurants...?"

The girl (although old enough to be considered a woman in the Hidden Village, she was still a child in his eyes) shook her head. "Nothing so far. Their reasons...were not all that far from yours."

At Takara's last attempt, this one in a small noodle stand, it had been explained to her: no one wanted to hire a stranger, not without another to assure the potential worker's trustworthiness. In a Hidden Village, ninja liked to have an idea as to who was tending to their food or anything for that matter. Following their lead, the civilian population hired only people that had the right connections within the village. Few were willing to take in a new resident.

Least of all silly farmgirls who had not the slightest clue about their shinobi patrons or how to deal witht them, as one shopowner had told Takara bluntly but in a more...crass manner. Remembering the way the woman had eyed her dirty fingernails distastefully, Takara hid her hands in her pockets. How that women even knew she was a farmer's daughter was a guess.

_Must have been my accent,_ Takara thought, who had not realized she even had one to begin with until moving to Konoha. Just yesterday, it provided a source of amusement for a pair of giggling shopkeepers. Takara's face still burned at the memory.

"Ah," the old man said, nodding grimly. While unfair, he understood his fellow businessowners' reluctance. He himself could not risk hiring the obviously inexperienced slip of a girl. "Well, I wish you the best of luck, Hinamori-san."

"Have a nice day," she said quietly, green eyes downcast. Another forced smile before she exited the shop.

Takara squinted at the sky, shading her eyes from the sunlight. Dark spots bloomed in her vision nonetheless as it took its time to adjust to the sudden brightness that pierced her eyes. She must have spent a longer period of time than she originally thought. Blinking rapidly, the darkness faded and she could see again.

Shoulders slumping, Takara sighed. _What am I going to do?_ It was getting harder and harder for her to keep up with everything. Her options were narrowing as the days went by.

What was it that Kanna said again? Ah, yes. "You'd have to take up prostitution to get money in a place like Konohagakure, what with your work experience." Another flimsy argument for why Takara shouldn't have moved, one the auburn-haired had dismissed with a snort. Now though...

Takara clung to her head, pulling at handfuls of hair, and groaned. _I don't wanna be whore!_ She didn't even know where the brothels were in Konoha!

"Ah, if it isn't Konoha's most youthful springtime flower!"

Only one person had ever compared her to a flower.

"Hm?" Recognizing the loud, masculine voice, Takara looked over her shoulder and instantly brightened at what she saw. "Gai-san!"

"Yosh!" The man instantly fell into his "Nice Guy Pose", one hand poised on his hip and the other giving her his signature thumbs up.

Takara gave a surprised laugh, remembering it from their first meeting. The girl had not seen it since their shared breakfast which was a little over two weeks ago. At the reminder of breakfast, Takara's smile froze.

That bill had put quite the pretty dent in her tiny budget which she was now suffering for immensely. She had eaten nothing but cup ramen for the past week! Soon she would be forced to choose between that and next month's rent.

"Eh heh...how've you been, Gai-san?" Her mouth twitched.

"Most youthful today!" Gai exclaimed, relaxing from his pose but still strutting around like a rooster, Takara noted. "But how can I not be when it is such a glorious day? I can feel the springtime in the air."

It was summer. Takara wanted so badly to that point out but she could not bring herself to be rude to one of the first people to show her kindness since her arrival. Even if he did ditch her with a huge bill.

"I haven't seen you guys in a while. Where's your team?" She looked around for them. Lee, at least, she expected to be attached to Gai's spandex wearing hip.

"We have just returned from a mission today. They're taking a break until tomorrow afternoon."

Takara blinked. A break? That didn't sound like the Gai she surmised after first meeting him but, recalling the fondness in his gaze when he looked at his team, the girl smiled at her own foolishness. Strict and maybe harsh in his training (at least by her civilian standards), yes he was, but not unreasonable.

"What was the mission?" Takara asked, tilting her head. "It must have been a big one to take you guys out of the village for so long."

Gai laughed. "Not at all! Just a C rank one, a youthful one at that."

"C rank?"

Amused that someone could be so oblivious to what was common knowledge in the village, Gai briefly explained the levels of missions to her. Takara listened, brow furrowed in concentration, and nodded. She asked, "Is C rank one of those top secret ones?"

"Not in the least," he said, smiling. The thought of such a low level mission being secret was laughable. "I can tell you all about it over lunch."

Takara's eyes gleamed. She _so_ wanted to hear about a ninja's mission firsthand. But her face fell as she remembered her currently tight wallet.

"Um, I don't know, Gai-san. I'm not all that hungry." This statement was supplanted by a grumble. At the mention of food, her stomach decided to intervene.

Immediately, Takara flushed pink. She glanced at Gai, embarrassed, but to her relief he did not laugh. His face showed marginal amusement, however.

"I think your belly disagrees!" he declared. "Come! Let us replenish it."

"Uh..."

"It'll be my treat," he enticed.

Relief quickly flashed across Takara's face but was soon clouded with doubt. Observant as he was, Gai easily picked up on the former and his sharp mind processed it. It did not take much for him to conclude that the little civilian was having money troubles. The realization briefly made his thick brows raise before his expression smoothed into its previous good-natured one.

Takara did not notice a thing. All she saw was Gai's usual grin.

"I do believe that I owe you after breakfast," he said. He watched her eyes widen in surprise.

"It was no trouble..."

He knew better than that. Gai said, "It was terribly unyouthful of us to leave you with such a burden. I take full responsibilty and will pay you back to the fullest."

Takara smiled wanly, shaking her head. "Don't worry about it. Actually, isn't it more youthful to make those kind of mistakes?"

"A valid point," he acknowledged. "But I must insist."

"I was glad to pay." Really, she would have been if not for her monetary concerns. She did not want him to feel bad, though.

"And I myself would be glad to _re_pay!"

She might not have known Gai well enough yet but Takara knew enough to realize the man wouldn't stop until he had his way. With an exaggerated sigh, she relented. "Fine, fine."

Gai took the opportunity to showcase his gleaming white teeth. "Where would you like to go?"

"As long as it's not ramen, I don't care," Takara said a little too seriously. The concerns Gai had about her financial situation solidified. The popular noodles were one of the cheapest meals available.

"I know just the place." In a surprisingly gentle gesture, Gai put a large, rough hand on her thin shoulder and guided her down the street.

For a moment, Takara wondered how such a kind person could be a killer.

* * *

Curry was not one of Takara's favorite foods, not in the least. However, after days of eating solely ramen, the thick sauce was like liquid heaven on her tongue. The spiciness was a relief after poorly flavored broth. She savored its taste, feeling it slide smoothly down her throat.

This, _this_ was paradise. This was the grand design. This was love and kindness and world peace all rolled into one single, delicious, hearty bite. This -

_Oh, Kami-sama..._

Gai barely held back his laughter at the dreamy expression on the girl's face. She had yet to remove the spoon from her mouth after the first bite. For Youth's sake, he had almost forgotten how cute some civilian women could be, lacking much interaction with them.

"Heh. Ahahaha - ahem." The man cleared his throat, trying to regain control of himself.

"Mm?" Takara looked at him as if coming out of a daze, spoon poking out of her mouth.

"I take it you enjoy it." It was not a question.

Sliding the spoon out of her mouth, Takara smiled. "You have no idea. You, Maito Gai-san, are a saint."

Well, that was a first. Gai could not recall a time anyone had called a shinobi such a thing, least of all him - one of the more powerful, therefore frightening, ninja in Konoha. This girl was an odd one. He liked her for that.

"I am only passing on the Youthfulness," he said, waving a hand.

"Still pretty damn saintly to me." Takara was quick to shovel another spoonful of curry in her mouth. Looking at her expression, Gai realized he'd lost her again.

Not many people could make the Green Beast of Konoha sweatdrop the way he did then. Said beast called her name a couple of times before Takara snapped out of it.

"Oh, sorry. It's just so good ~." Takara sighed, taking another bite.

"It is," Gai agreed heartily, pleased with his choice. "I come here often, usually by myself. My team cannot handle the youthful spice of this curry. Not even my most youthful student!" Lee was still working up to it.

"Ah likth spithy," Takara explained around her spoon. Kanna would have killed her for such bad manners then but Gai did not seem to care, so why should she?

Throwing his bowel cut head back, Gai outright laughed this time. "I can tell."

"So, tell me about this mission," she coaxed between bites, her spoon darting between the bowl and her mouth with such speed that Gai could barely keep up.

Takara listened as the ninja launched into his tale. He described everything in great detail, from the walk to the distant village in the Land of Tea and the weather to the village itself. Her eyes widened at the scenes he painted, talking about such foreign places that she never imagined. Those eyes did not waver from Gai as he went on to an account about the group of thugs they had run across on the way back.

"Was everyone okay?" she asked, her first time interrupting throughout the entire one-sided conversation.

"Of course. Though the same cannot be said about the unyouthful men who attacked us." Gai told her further details, slipping into more depth than he usually would with a civilian.

To her credit, Takara did not flinch. Her face paled slightly but she listened without comment or judgement. She maintained eye contact with Gai even through the more gruesome parts concerning deep cuts and smashed bone, some of which he freely admitted to doing himself. Not once did she look away.

Unknown to Takara, Gai was testing her, trying to get a feel for her mettle. His keen, dark eyes observed her as she took in his tale.

After he finished, Takara was quiet. She slowly set down her spoon.

"Is it always like that?" she asked solemnly.

"More often than not." Gai's face was equally serious.

A pause.

"Sometimes...you guys are the ones who start it. It's not always self-defense." A statement. The civilian girl was not nearly as naïve as people assumed.

"Yes."

Gai watched grimly as Takara shook her auburn-haired head. She let loose a soft sigh and closed her eyes.

"It's weird..." Gai's ears perked while Takara continued. "I knew this already and I can even picture it to an extent but I can't seem to look at you guys and just think 'killers'."

At the slip, Takara glanced up to gauge his reaction. Gai's face remained neutral.

"I suppose you could be called that," she went cautiously, eyeing him carefully. "Honestly, though, it doesn't really change my opinion of you. You're just too nice to me. And, in the end, that's what matters to me."

She smiled uncertainly at him.

Gai gave her a muted version of his usual grin, immediately setting her at ease. He looked at her with some sense of wonderment. She was still naïve by hardened ninja standards but...

Yes, this girl in particular might do his rival some good.

"I hope we can be friends," Takara ventured hopefully.

"Already are, my youthful flower! Now tell me, what have you been up to?"

* * *

**Author's Note: *whistles awkwardly* Well...yeah, so there's that. I hope I did Gai's character justice. He isn't as much as a goofball as people portray him to be, I think. There's no way he would have lived so long if that was all to his character.**

**And no, there will be no love triangle between him, Kakashi, and Takara. Blegh! I hate those things. And no way is Takara some special snowflake that guys fall all over. What I have in mind for Takara and Gai is more of a brother-sister relationship, 'cause Lord knows she has enough of those. *eyeroll***

**Still, she needs the support. Especially with those mean girls who laughed at her accent! Should I sic Gai on them?**


	10. Chapter Nine

_I do not own Naruto._

* * *

Surrounding trees flashed by from the corner of his vision as Kakashi fairly flew through the air, jumping from branch to branch. His feet touched lightly upon the bark of a thick tree limb - briefly - before pushing off from the balls of his feet with a burst of chakra. He moved swiftly, arms behind him as he bound ahead. The forest floor below was blur of foliage.

Two comrades flanked on either side. He could only see one from the corner of his right eye, his Sharingan - so far, unused - covered for the time being. To keep track of the other, Kakashi relied on his ears.

_Timp, timp, timp._ Each time the man landed, there was a small noise. Fortunately, the sounds of the forest covered it. The other ninja (Yatsu, was it?) was oddly loud for his profession, and that was not merely referring to his footsteps. Simply put, the guy did not know when to shut _up_.

"Damn, I can't wait to get back to the village," he was saying. "Sometimes these missions take too fucking long."

Kakashi was almost tempted to bring up his most recent _month_ long mission and corresponding assignments that lasted longer still. Almost. Over the years, the silver-haired shinobi found that silence conveyed more than words at times. Instead, he remained quiet and stretched his senses out, looking for potential enemies. The talking continued, though.

"It feels like forever since I've seen Mitsuko-chan. I hope we make it in time to get there before nightfall. I promised her I'd be back soon."

A foolish thing to do, Kakashi recognized critically. It was one of the Shinobi Rules that a ninja did not make any promises to return.

"Oi, Suzuki, how's your girl?" Yatsu asked his fellow chunin companion. He did not bother with the unsocial jonin, having long given up on facilitating a genuine conversation with Hatake Kakashi. Clearly, the _genius_ thought he was not worth the time.

Suzuki sighed; the small exhale was loud to Kakashi's sensitive hearing. "I don't know," he admitted. "We had a fight before I left."

"And you left before you could make it up?" Yatsu laughed. "Shit, man, good luck with that. She's going to make your life hell when you get back."

"Nah. She just needed time to cool off."

Yatsu scoffed. "Are you kidding me? If I pulled that on Mitsu, she'd use my own kunai to stab me."

"Nami is a bit more forgiving than Mitsuko-san." Suzuki smiled, slightly sheepish.

"You're telling me," he grumbled but there was a sense of warmth in his eyes even as he complained about the woman he was seeing. Too much emotion - another Shinobi Rule broken, Kakashi thought with slight distaste.

The two men chuckled.

"Hey, Hatake-senpai," Suzuki ventured, "are you seeing anyone?"

He was a soft-spoken, compassionate man, as far as Kakashi could discern, and he had yet to give up on involving Kakashi in their idle discussions. Also a medical nin, there was the notable reluctance to harm during battle that made Kakashi grind his teeth in frustration. More often than not, the copy nin wondered how the younger man became a ninja in the first place. All the same, Suzuki provided a complementary foil to the comparatively brash Yastu.

For that reason alone, Kakashi answered lazily, "Not at the moment."

"Nobody's caught your eye?" Suzuki gently prodded.

"Nope, nobody." _Not in the way he's getting at anyway,_ Kakashi thought as he considered a curvy blonde he glimpsed at a bar a few nights ago. His intentions had been less than honorable there.

"Ah, I'm sure you'll find somebody." Suzuki's smile was encouraging.

"Tch." Yatsu scowled.

"I'm not too worried about it," Kakashi said blandly, ignoring Yatsu. Far from it.

"Of course not," Yatsu muttered to himself, earning him a look from Suzuki. Kakashi chose not to deign that comment with a response.

It was during times like this when Kakashi actually missed the ANBU. The specter-like members never spoke beyond brisk commands and the like as they moved silently through the forest. There were no personal inquiries, no attempts at conversation, nothing. It was only the mission.

But then the missions... Kakashi's eye darkened at the memories that swept through his mind.

_Crack_. He immediately tensed at the sudden sound, stopping. The two chunin came to a halt beside him, kunai drawn.

"Oi, Hatake, what is it - ?"

"_Quiet_."

They stood there silently for a long moment, senses on high. There was the chattering of forest animals and the occasional call of a bird. The wind whispered through the trees, shuffling the leaves around them. It blew against Kakashi's face and his nose twitched.

"This way," he said quietly, dashing further up into the trees. Two dark blurs followed after him. The three men balanced on a single, long branch and peered around them cautiously.

"How many?" Yatsu asked in a gruff whisper.

"Five," Kakashi answered lowly as he shifted his headband to reveal his other eye. The Sharingan's tomoe swirled as it took in the area.

Suzuki's brown eyes widened at the sight of it. Glancing away, he swallowed noiselessly. _This is serious._ "Where?" he wanted to know.

"Close," the Sharingan user said curtly. "They're about half a mile away."

"So, how are we going to do this?" Yatsu asked after letting loose a soft curse, gripping his kunai tightly.

"You take the front. I'll follow behind, taking up the rear, and circle around them. They'll follow my chakra signature." Glancing at Suzuki, Kakashi added, "You stay back with the scrolls and wait for thirty seconds. They'll think I'm the one with them, so they'll take after me. I'll lead them in the opposite direction. Then you'll make a break for the village. Yatsu, you'll cover Suzuki."

"And just leave you to them?" Suzuki asked skeptically, concerned.

"Are you crazy?" Yatsu glowered.

"That's an order," Kakashi said, voice reinforced with steel. With obvious reluctance, they nodded.

"Alright. Go!"

* * *

Takara's thin eyebrows pushed together as she contemplated the kunoichi before her, chopsticks poised against her bottom lip. She tapped it thoughtfully. "So you're saying it's just you and three guys _all_ the time?"

"Didn't you say you grew up with three brothers and your dad?" Tenten retorted good-naturedly. She raised a manicured brow. "That makes four."

At this, Takara shrugged. "You might have a point, but it's different. They're not the same age as me and none of them are...well, you know."

She did not have to explain. Tenten did know.

Smirking slightly, the girls snuck amused glances at said boys where they sat at the same table as them for breakfast. Gai and Lee were in the midst of an in-depth discussion about - what else? - taijutsu. Neji, ever the social butterfly, was content with his meal. Watching them, Takara could not help but compare the bushy-browed duo and the Hyuuga. Lee and Gai were overly enthusiasitc and excitable, easily seen by their animated speech. They _oozed_ energy and "youthfulness" (Takara still did not know what was up with that) from their pores. Ignoring them, Neji radiated a sense of stillness that Takara would not quite call "peaceful", so to speak. It was too lethal for that, more like the tight string of a bow pulled back - ready for release at the slightest indiscretion.

Sensing her gaze, the pale-eyed boy met it coolly. Takara swiftly looked away, a bit paler than before, much to Tenten's amusement.

Yes, Takara was intimidated by a twelve year-old whose voice hadn't fully cracked yet. Was she ashamed? No. Not really. Hyuuga Neji was scary.

The kunoichi received a light kick under the table for her snickering. The one Takara got in return made the civilian visibly wince. She would find a bruise on that shin later, without a doubt.

_Note to self: don't piss off Tenten either._

Giving the younger girl a look, she asked, "So, how is it you manage?"

Tenten smiled innocently. "It's not so bad. You get used to it."

"Yeah, I guess so," Takara agreed, thinking of her own group menfolk back home. "After a while, it becomes natural, I guess. I can't picture my life without them. Well, now I can, obviously."

Curious, Tenten wondered, "So it was just the five of you? What about your mom?"

Takara reached for her hair and tugged on it, quieter. "She passed away when I was young."

There was pause in the Gai and Lee's conversation. Gai's dark eyes glanced at her, face sobering. Lee's own eyes widened.

"Sorry for bringing it up," Tenten said quickly.

Lee offered his own condolences, solemn. "I'm most sorry for your family's loss."

"That's...unfortunate," Neji said softly. Takara looked at him, surprised, but he did not let up from the intent contemplation of his tea. She noticed the way his hands tightened on the cup.

_Ah, I see_. He lost somebody, too.

She waved away their apologies and smiled; it was smaller than usual. "Don't worry about it. It was a long time ago. Really," she added at their uncertain looks.

Gai's face softened into a thoughtful one.

"What are your brothers like anyway?" asked Tenten, changing the subject. To her relief, Takara instantly brightened.

"Well, to start with, there's my youngest brother Riku. He's a bit of a troublemaker, pulling pranks all the time. But only on people who 'deserve' it. Never on me, though." Something smug passed across Takara's expression. "Because he knows I'll get him back even worse."

"Really?" Tenten asked, amused. She had difficulty picturing it.

A decidedly impish look crossed Takara's face. "Really. Then there's Hiraku, who is a year older than you guys. He's always been real shy around people he doesn't know but is such a great artist. You should see some of his drawings - I'll show 'em to ya some time. I don't know where he gets it from. I can't draw crap! Weirdly enough, he's the one I fight with the most.

"And Hotaka-nii...well," Takara paused. How does one describe their ninja-phobic brother to a group of shinobi _without_ getting a throwing star to the face? "He's really serious. But really funny when he wants to be, if you get him in the right mood. He loves being outside, which is a good thing 'cause that's part of his job. I don't think he would ever come back to the house if not for the food. That's the one thing they have in common," Takara added, laughing. "They eat enough to feed a small village, I swear! I don't know where they put it all."

"They sound like a most youthful group of men!" Gai observed.

Covering her snickering with a hand, Takara agreed. "You could say that."

"And how's the training going?" she asked, deliberately avoiding Neji's warning look.

"Most splendid!" Lee exclaimed. "Gai-sensei is teaching me a new technique called -."

"Lee!" His teacher gave him a solid punch to head, effectively shutting him up. Takara cringed.

"Sorry, sir!"

"Was that really necessary?" she asked the older man, frowning.

"Sometimes, yes," Neji said. The civilian shot him a pointed look which he ignored.

"Only every now and then," Gai assured Takara.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously before turning to Lee, gentling her expression. "You okay?"

"I am fine," the boy insisted. He gave her a tumbs up, winking. "Do not concern yourself, Takara-san. If I could not take hits like that, I could not call myself a ninja."

"If you're sure..." Takara said, still worried. She cast another disapproving glance at Gai who met it seriously. Seeing she wasn't getting anywhere, the girl huffed through her nose.

"And how is the search for a job?" Lee asked politely.

Takara slumped in her seat, plopping her head against the table. She sighed pitifully.

"That good, huh?" Tenten asked.

"There hasn't exactly been much progress..."

"You'll get one soon, Takara-san!" Lee encouraged, a fire in his eyes. "I know you will."

The auburn-haird girl smiled at him from her place on the table. "Thanks, Lee."

_He is such a sweet boy._

* * *

There was a sixth shinobi. Kakashi had missed him in his count, as he was hidden away from the group. It was a mistake. A simple, idiotic mistake - one that had cost them. They lost Yatsu as result.

Kakashi had caught up in time to aid them with the remaining shinobi. Even as he watched Yatsu struggle in his fight, he went to Suzuki first. By the time he dealt with the fierce kunoichi that tailed the medic nin, Yatsu was dead.

His name would be added as a casualty to a successful mission.

_Successful_. How did they define that word when it came to missions? Kakashi often mulled over this question as he stood before the Memorial Stone. This time, it had been a collection of scrolls. But what would it be next time?

He had completed his mission. It had been a success, they said. He was congratulated; barely a word was spoken about Yatsu Kosuke. Kakashi had not even known his given name, only that he had a girlfriend waiting for him back home and maybe a family, too. He had more to look forward to than Kakashi did.

Once again, the question came to him: why did he survive? Why was he the one who lived on? There was no one waiting for him, no one he made false promises to for a safe return. Not really, not anymore.

Familiar faces flashed through his mind. Obito. Rin. Minato-sensei. Kushina-san. ...Tou-san.

More and more lately, Kakashi's thoughts wandered to the man he had called father, the man who had once been Konoha's esteemed White Fang. At times, in his darker hours, they lingered on the suicide. He recalled it in clear detail, sometimes going over it late at night when nothing else would entertain his thoughts. Everything would come to him almost unwillingly, slithering into his mind.

A seven year-old Hatake Kakashi had found Sakumo. Who would find him?

Kakashi's eyes traced over the names, deeply engraved into the Memorial Stone. All the names of those lost during the Third Shinobi World War were there except Sakumo's. The man was buried in a civilian cemetery. Would the same happen to his son?

The shinobi warrior stood there for hours on end. Only when the sun started to set did he turn around and walk away, hands buried in his pockets. He carried the painful memories and darkening thoughts with him as he went.

* * *

"Oh, Kakashi-san...you're back." Takara looked at her mysteriously absent neighbor with slightly widened eyes. She started at him, looking him up and down curiously, lingering on slight cuts in his arms.

Tilting her head, she inquired, "Did you just get back from a mission?"

"Yeah," the man said as he made a climb up the stairs.

Takara frowned at the ninja, green eyes narrowing. She was getting tired of his attitude. With a huff, she hefted her grocery bag and went after him. She had to go two steps at a time to catch up.

"So, how'd it go?"

"...it was a success."

"That's a good thing, right?" she asked, quizzical. _Why is he acting like this?_

"So they say" was his cryptic response.

Her frown deepened as she inspected the ninja critically. He did not look worse for wear but something about his demeanor had changed. _Less casual_, she decided, _more morose. _

Concerned, she asked slowly, "Kakashi-san...are you okay?"

Kakashi was quiet for a long moment. "I'm fine," he said dismissively.

_No you're not._

They walked up the steps, quiet. Takara kept casting him worried looks which Kakashi ignored, numb as he was. They made it to their shared floor and the civilian crept behind him as they moved down the hall.

Kakashi stopped in front of his door, shuffling through his pocket for keys. He felt the civilian watching him. "Is there something that you need?" he asked dully.

"Yes, actually..." Takara said slowly, running through ideas in her head. The only words that came to her were _don't leave him alone_. Something inside of her screamed it.

He looked over his shoulder at her, pausing. "What is it?"

Takara froze. _His eye...it's so sad._

"I need help with...something."

"What?"

"My groceries," she said at last. "I need some help with my groceries."

"How so?"

"They need to be put away, silly."

He raised a silver eyebrow. "Can't you do that yourself?"

Takara rolled her eyes, sighed aggravatedly, and took a hold of his sleeve. She tugged on it insistently. "Quit being so unsocial and just come on."

Kakashi did not move. "I'm not really in the mood."

"You're never in the mood," she pointed out, impatiencd filtering through her words. "Besides, it'll only be for like, a second."

"Takeira-chan..." he said warningly.

"_Takara!"_ she snapped. "Get my name right! I know you know it. Call me by my family name, if you want to be so impersonal. Sheesh."

"Hinamori," he started.

"That's better." Takara sniffed. "Finally, we're making some progress."

"Now's not the best time."

"You're right. It's the _perfect_ time." She pulled at the loose sleeve forcefully. "Let's go."

"I don't want to intrude," he murmured, trying a different route. Takara saw right through it and made a soft scoffing noise.

"Don't even try the 'nice guy' card. I'm not in the mood," she threw his words back at him, deepening her voice to mimick his.

Kakashi's eye hardened. "Fine. I don't want to."

"There we go." She continued to tug on him, pulling the fabric until it stretched as she attempted to walk the ninja to her apartment. Giving an exaggerated sigh, she looked at the stubborn man. "It'll only be a little bit, Kakashi-san. I just want some help."

Takara gave him the pleading expression that reminded Kakashi of a kicked puppy. Maybe that was what made him relent. Or maybe he really did not want to be alone. There was no explaining the moment of weakness.

"_Fine_."

"Great!" Takara chirped. _Haha! Works every time._

"But not for too long."

"Of course not! I promise ~ ."

* * *

**Author's Note: Hohoho, she gotcha there, Kakashi. ;) It took some convincing but Takara was not giving up this time. She finally put her foot down.**

**And with this chapter, I became a murderer. I heartlessly killed a man just to make Kakasni emotionally vulnerable. Poor Yatsu. May he rest in peace. **


	11. Chapter Ten

_I own nothing except the clothes on my back. Thanks for the reminder._

* * *

It did not take much for the copy nin to figure out that any request for assistance had been a ruse. As soon as he entered the room, Hinamori had ushered him to take a seat on the bed in absence of any chairs. Actually, she had more or less pushed him into it before fluttering throughout the room. The brown paper bag of food items remained untouched by the door.

_Help with groceries, my ass_.

Kakashi was still trying to figure out what he was doing there: Sitting on a "woman's" (Hinamori was more girl than woman, by far) bed, one he had no intention of seducing nonetheless, the long-limbed ninja perched at the mattress' edge in his usual slouching position, elbows resting on his knees. Single eye half-lidded, Kakashi quietly watched the girlish figure bumble around her tiny apartment. Hinamori's hair swished behind her in its long ponytail, drawing his attention briefly, as she bustled about the cabinets. She opened and closed them with a series of loud slams as she rummaged through their contents, creating a racket among the kitchenware. Mutters reached Kakashi's sensitive ears, mild expletives flowing easily from the girl's mouth.

His eye wandered, taking the opportunity to examine his surroundings as was habit. The mattress which he helped lug in sat without a bed frame at the far left corner, covered with a thick, worn-looking brown blanket and scattered with plain, caseless pillows. Beside it were pinned a collage of pictures at which he took a dismissive glance; it varied from casual family photographs to detailed drawings of landscapes. A long shelf behind the mattress held a couple of books and a small glass overflowing with flowers. At the foot of the bed, there was a lone cardboard box that acted in place of a dresser from what Kakashi could see. On the opposite wall, a trio of cabinets had been added which doubled as a makeshift counter top space where a portable stove top rested.

The apartment had changed from the last time he was there weeks beforehand and, considering the similar layout, Kakashi could not help comparing it to his own. Where his apartment was bare of most personal effects, Takara's was filled with them. Her apartment actually appeared lived in. In the near month she had resided in Konoha, she had made herself a home - where Kakashi's place was just that, a place. Somewhere for him to sleep at night and recuperate after long missions.

"Aha!"

Kakashi's eye snapped back to Hinamori and he immediately deadpanned at the sight. The girl stood in a triumphant pose, back straight and feet apart, while holding up a slightly rusted, copper tea kettle. Turning to look at him, she flashed him a smile.

"Found it," she declared, thoroughly pleased with this accomplishment.

"So I see," Kakashi said, eyeing the kettle lazily. "And what is that for?"

Hinamori rolled her eyes playfully. "What does it look like? To make tea, obviously."

"Uh-huh. How is this supposed to help put away groceries?"

"Pfft." She waved a hand. "I'll get to that later. Not like there's any perishables anyway - I got nowhere to put those, you see? It can wait."

He eyed the girl. "Then why did you say you needed help?"

"Just an excuse to get you in here," Hinamori said in a bubbly manner, accompanied with a half shrug.

Kakashi sweatdropped. While he figured that was the case, he never imagined that she would admit to it so carelessly.

Before the ninja could respond with some kind of depreciating remark, the auburn-haired girl fairly bounced - yes, _bounced_ - into the conjoined bathroom. There was the sound of rushing water as the faucet was switched on. Due to the notable absence of a proper sink in the "kitchen", Kakashi assumed that it was to fill the tea kettle.

The momentary break from the civilian provided Kakashi a prime opportunity. He eyed the sealed window, considering it, but there was no making good on that thought. Humming a tune, Hinamori soon came back with a filled tea kettle. Placing it on a miniature stove top, she turned it up high and, tightening her ponytail, turned to Kakashi.

An inconspicuous escape was out of the question now. Kakashi had missed his small (literal) window of opportunity.

"I don't usually drink tea except under special circumstances but now seems as good a time as any," Hinamori explained. "I have just the herbs for the occasion."

"And what occasion would that be?" Kakashi asked dryly. _What herbs?_ the more suspicious part of his brain, always alert for plausible threats, wanted to know.

"Your visit, of course," she practically cheered. "Guests are always welcome."

The man blinked at her and stared blankly. "Really?"

"Really really."

Hinamori walked over to the bed in a few light steps, easily crossing the small room. Lifting a foot, she stepped onto the bed one foot at a time and plopped down at the end of the mattress. The mattress sank, bouncing, under the added weight. Crossing her long legs, Hinamori rested her chin on steepled hands and looked to him expectantly with bright eyes. She smiled.

If he were to be perfectly honest, the constant smile was beginning to get creepy. Kakashi leaned away slightly, looking the girl up and down.

Hinamori snickered. "Relax. It's not like I'm going to steal your virtue or anything."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched at that. "Isn't that usually something girls would worry about?" he asked pointedly. "At least it should be something to consider before inviting strange men into their apartments."

"So you _admit_ you're strange."

"I hate to break it you but you're not really one to talk," Kakashi retorted, glancing away.

A proud smile made its way across her face. "Ah, but who says that's a bad thing?"

"I suppose but it doesn't change the fact that things could happen. It's not always a 'good' strange," he said with an edge of warning to his voice. Frankly, he did not want to be the one to rescue her if she made these odd invitations a habit. Hadn't her parents taught this girl anything about strangers?

"Meh. If that's the case, I'd just kick their butts." And she said this utmost certainty - without a trace of sarcasm. Clearly she had not spent enough time among the ninja of the village or any odd man in general.

"Oh?" This time Kakashi angled his head to look at her fully, amused. "You think so?"

"Or Takumi-san and Kimi-san would hear me scream and they would go get help or whatever. Either way, I'm not too worried about it."

"Who?"

Hinamori stared at him disbelievingly. "Uh, your neighbors. You know, the people who live right down the hall?" At his blank look, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "And you've lived here for _how_ long?"

"I haven't gotten around to meeting them," Kakashi said, not bothering to even act defensive. He could vaguely recall a plain, small-statured woman passing him in the hall but they had never exchanged so much as a morning greeting like he did with Hinamori.

It was very possible that he preferred the unknown brunette to this overly social civilian girl.

* * *

The girl shook her head, eyes sliding up to look at the ceiling. _This is going to be harder than I first thought._ It was only fortunate that Takara was not one to give up so easily. She was looking for a long term project anyway.

Well, fortunate for her at least. So far, a little stubborn will and added resiliency had not any negative impacts. It always got her what she deemed necessary, whether it was getting Riku to eat his vegetables or a weird ninja guy to socialize. _They'll thank me one day,_ Takara thought.

"Hmm, I guess I'll just have to introduce you guys later." Takara tapped her bottom lip thoughtfully. "Though that would be a little weird... I mean, _you're_ supposed to be the one who knows them better and introduce _me_. I mean, it'd be like, 'Hey, here's that guy that you've lived next to for an oh, so number of years. Thought that I'd introduce guys. You know, just for kicks.'"

She sent him a flat look and told him point blankly, "You utterfly fail as a neighbor so far."

"I think I can live with that." Kakashi's mind wandered to other things that he could - and had - at which he fail for a dark moment.

_The metallic scent of blood was pungent in the air. Suzuki looked at him, panic in his brown eyes. "Senpai, I don't know if I can-"_

"I cannot understand how you've lived here for over ten years and never gotten to know any of your neighbors!" Takara continued, dragging him from his thoughts.

Subdued, Kakashi said, "People come and go. This isn't exactly a place people stay for long."

"Yeah, I heard that this place used to be a dorm for some high up ninja," Takara said, thinking back on a previous conversation with Takumi. (He was such a nice man!) "Jovi, Jody, Jo...jo something."

"I think you mean 'jonin,'" Kakashi corrected lazily.

Takara snapped her fingers, brightening. "That's the word! Personally, I like 'jovi' better. Has a more musical tone to it, I think. Anyway, I heard that this was like a dorm for those guys way, way back when." (Kakashi did not exactly like thinking of his younger years as being described as way back when. Come on, it wasn't that long ago, was it?) "You know, back during the war or some other time. Feels like ages ago. I mean, I was just a little kid back then."

She paused, seeing something flash in his eyes. The pieces came tumbling together.

"Wait a second." Her eyes narrowed, brow furrowing. "You said you lived here from, what thirteen? That was like, I don't know - fifteen or twenty years ago..."

"Twelve," Kakashi deadpanned.

Her eyes widened at that, incredulous. "Twelve?" she repeated, looking at his hair. "But then how the hell is your hair gray?"

"It's natural."

"Did it like, lose all of its color on a mission or something? Were you that scared?"

Kakashi's eye twitched. "No."

"But you couldn't have been born with - you know what? Never mind. I've seen weirder things. Not many, but..." Takara shook her head. "We're getting off topic. If you were thirteen, wouldn't that mean that you...you were in the war?"

"You can say that," the ninja said coolly.

The civilian shook her head slowly, horrified. "But that would mean you were just a little _kid_ when you were there."

"Shinobi children are different from civilians, Hinamori," he said seriously. "They're trained for things like that."

She protested, "But still children all the same. How old were you even when you - "

"Let's not talk about this," he cut her off.

Takara opened her mouth but a shrill whistle interrupted her. Annoyed, her gaze snapped at the tea kettle whose spout was shooting steam. She unwound her legs and climbed out of the bed, clomping over to the stove top. The kettle was lifted and neatly set aside. Then she went rummaging through the cabinets once more, perhaps a bit more violently than the last. It took less time for her to find two mugs which she slammed on the counters and filled with the piping hot water.

Not too surprised by her reaction, Kakashi watched the girl. It was not the first time someone had reacted so to the realization that child soldiers were used in the Third Shinobi World War. Truly, even the Konoha civilians who were used to young people fighting were equally repulsed at the idea. At this point, though, it was merely a fact of life for him as one of those child soldiers. He felt no need to justify or rebuke the sometimes necessary choices the village leaders made then.

Her back to Kakashi, Takara stared at the wall and took a level breath. She attempted to calm herself but she kept thinking - _children just children only babies themselves that's awful how could anyone do that what kind of monster_ - and her mind flashed back to her younger brothers, picturing them in bloody battles in a war zone. The thought of little Riku holding a knife alone sent her heart sputtering. She thought back to the first day she met Gai and his team, the discussion of broken bones and injuries that had left her cringing then.

_I see. It really is different here, isn't it?_ And who was Takara to judge...even if it was wrong. She did not know enough to begin with at all. What lead to such a choice? What brought on the need for children as warriors? With that thought, Takara made a mental to ask Gai about this later. He might be more receptive to questioning; he always was before at least. He was the same age as Kakashi, so that must mean... _Him, too._

Her thoughts wandered back to the former child soldier behind her. _A combat veteran before his voice cracked._ She was supposed to take his mind off of such grim thoughts in the first place and here she was bringing up reminders of something worse. Glancing at him, Takara wondered to herself just how messed up this guy was.

"How do you like your tea anyway?" she asked, watching the drinks steep.

"I don't usually drink tea..."

"Sugar it is then!" Takara decided cheekily, reaching for a small container.

Kakashi fought the urge to sigh. He hated sweets.

"So, if not to help with groceries," he looked at the bag deliberately, "why did you invite me over?"

"Because strange men make for interesting conversation," Takara said, smirking. He raised a brow at that. "We've already had a good one. I've learned about your shinobi career, that your hair is a natural gray, how old you are, and a bunch of other good stuff."

He gave her a look, not duly impressed. _This girl... _If not for her civilian status, maybe Morino Ibiki would have been interested in taking her into the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force. She certainly had the tenacity for questioning. Though she certainly would not handle the torture aspect too well, given her reaction to minor details.

The man suddenly found a mug pressed into his hands. Kakashi instinctively curled his fingers around it, holding it. The warmth of it seeped through the glass and warmed his palms despite the gloves. He inhaled, taking in the scent. Chamomile with lavender. Both were herbs known to have calming effect and promote sleep.

Takara settled next to him, jostling the bed again. She grinned, fighting the need to guffaw at the sight of a shinobi warrior cradling a kitten mug. It failed as a few quiet giggles escaped her.

He glanced at her. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Takara took a long sip, the liquid warm in her mouth. Her eyes glittered in amusement. "Why don't you tell me a little more about yourself?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Any hobbies?"

"I have lots of hobbies," he said vaguely.

She looked at him expectantly. "Like...?"

"Doesn't this work both ways?" Kakashi asked, evasive. "Shouldn't you talk about yourself when asking about others?"

"Uh-huh. Very convincing." Takara rolled her eyes. "Well, since you're so interested, I like hanging out with people, but I'm sure you already guessed that. Just talking to them is fun. There's also running and playing with my little brother. I like gardening a little, not as much as Nii-san does though. But hey, that's why he's the farmer. Oh, and baking."

"Baking," he repeated dully.

"That's what I said." She looked at her makeshift kitchen forlornly and sighed. "If only there was an oven in this place."

"Why did you move in here then?" he asked.

"Cause it was cheaper," Takara stated the obvious.

"No, why did you move to Konoha?" Kakashi shifted the cup in hands; it was already cooling. "All those things you mentioned...they're better suited for a farm. And you mentioned your family twice."

"I did, didn't I? Huh." Takara's smile slipped as she looked into her tea. "Hmmm... How do I explain this? I guess I just needed to get out of there. Don't get me wrong, it was nice and all. I loved growing up there. But I thought I could use some more growing up elsewhere. You know?" _And...I didn't want to be afraid anymore. I want to show my family they shouldn't be afraid either. _

"How is that working out for you?"

She turned to him, lips curving. "Not too bad."

"You seem to have managed fine."

Takara could not help but grin, a tiny burst of pleasure kindling in her chest. She tucked a piece hair behind ear and said, "Yeah, I guess I have, haven't I?"

_Ha! Stick that in your juice box and _suck_ it, Kanna!_

Suddenly, her face puckered into a frown. "Kakashi-san, aren't you going to drink your tea?"

* * *

**Author's Note: Well...that happened. I'm not too sure about this update. More Kakashi and Takara interaction, everybody! Next chapter, I have feeling that Taka-chan is going to do a bit more digging and we'll get to see Gai again! I missed that youthful bastard in this chapter. He is so much fun to write and so much easier to keep in character. Good Lord, I had to wrestle with Kakashi to get what I wanted out of him this round. Hopefully, he's not OOC. If so, I'm sooooo sorry.**

**So, about the topic of child soldier in Naruto: Am I the only one who is surprised that it is not a huge topic of debate? I imagine that there has to be some discussion among civilian villagers, at least occasionally. Yes, I know that this a shonen anime/manga but it's still something to think about it. I'm kinda using Takara as a voice for it; she still looks at Team Gai and thinks, "Babies!" Really, though, she's never seen any of them fight or train. I'll have to put that in here soon.**

****** If only she knew just how old Kakashi was when he was sent on the front lines. I have a question for you guys: What are your thoughts on this topic? Yes, it's different in reality as opposed to anime. I'm still curious nonetheless.**


	12. Chapter Eleven

_I do not own Naruto. Clearly._

* * *

Ramen.

Ramen, ramen, ramen. That was all that Takara ate nowadays, and she _hated_ it. She was sick of it all: the thick noodles that slid down her throat like vile, wheat-based snakes; the dehydrated vegetables that were squished between her molars in reluctant chews; and worst of all, the thin, near flavorless broth and its horrid aftertaste that no amount of mouthwash could remove.

To think, before moving she had never actually eaten ramen. Living on a marginally successful farm, there was no need. Takara's diet always consisted of well balanced, hearty meals that consisted of fresh ingredients often provided by their own garden. Kami-sama, was she spoiled back then.

What she wouldn't give for one of those proper home-cooked meals now.

Takara glowered darkly at the rows of cup ramen before her. This is what she had been reduced to - banished to a single aisle in the grocery store. It was cruel, senseless torture for Takara to have to walk past all of those tempting vegetables that gleamed in the store's lighting. Her mouth watered just thinking about those ruby red tomatoes, so ripe and fresh and - !

There was quiet rumble that echoed from the empty depths of her insides. Takara put a hand over her stomach, looking down at it pitifully. "I'm so sorry, Tummy-chan," she murmured soothingly. "We'll get something for you soon. I promise."

Another growl. Takara sighed, patting her belly apologetically.

"Just a little longer," she assured.

"Hey, lady. Who are you talkin' to?"

"Huh?" Takara turned her head toward the speaker.

A young boy stared at her oddly, eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. Bright blond hair spiked out of his hair, pushed back by a pair of large goggles. The vibrancy of his tracksuit made Takara blink. _Orange?_ He held a shopping basket filled to the brim with cup ramen.

"Uh..." Her cheeks pinkened but she smiled nonetheless, a little sheepish. "My stomach?"

_"_That's really weird."

Takara's lips quirked, amused. "I know. But sometimes, it just needs a good pep talk. Everybody does from time to time."

He looked genuinely curious. "Why would your stomach need a pep talk?"

"You know, in times of hardship," she explained.

"Hardship?" the boy echoed, brow furrowing.

Takara sighed and nodded mournfully, only acting _somewhat_. "It's been a rough month for Tummy-chan and me, kiddo. Grocery bills aren't exactly cheap."

Surprisingly, understanding dawned on the boy's features. He nodded quickly. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Eyebrows shooting upward, Takara's face lost all of its good humor and turned blank. She said slowly, "You do?"

Discomfort tightened the boy's features as he seemed to tense, shifting from one foot to the other. He watched the older girl warily. "Yeah... What about it? I mean, everybody pays lots for food, right?"

"Yeah, yeah they do," she agreed, making herself relax into a more natural expression. "Do you go shopping with your parents, sweetie?" Takara swiftly glanced around the aisle, expecting to find another head full of blond hair or perhaps an adult who also had a penchant for orange clothing. Although the boy was old enough to run errands on his own, she wondered.

"I..." The boy paused. "I don't really have any."

Her mouth opened but no words came out. She snapped it closed and pressed her lips together, staring at him. Scavenging her mind, she tried to think of something to say - _anything_ - but came up blank. The only word that came to her was "sorry" but having heard it so many times after losing her mother, it was the last thing Takara wanted to say. No, she simply refused to say it.

_Sorry_ didn't make it better. _Sorry_ didn't bring a parent back or get rid of the pain. It was just another word, one to fall back on when you had nothing to say. There was no real meaning in it.

"What?" he demanded, defensive. His eyes flared.

"Nothing! Nothing..." Takara bit her lip, considering. "...so, I guess you've shopped a lot by yourself?"

"Yeah..." His hands tightened on the basket.

The taller girl forced on a cheery smile. "Oh, good. That must mean you have _lots_ of experience. More than I do, anyway."

"How can ya tell?"

"Well, I've only been doing it for a little over a month."

"Really, a month?" A smile made its way onto his face. It suited him, Takara decided. "Wow. I really have been!"

"I thought so. You looked like you knew what you're doing. How long have you been at it?"

"I dunno - a couple years."

"_Wow. _You must be a professional by now!"

The boy's brow furrowed as he looked at her strangely. Again. "How can someone be a professional at grocery shopping?"

"Same with a lotta things: Years of experience - which I don't have."

"Oh. I guess that kinda makes sense..." He lit up with an infectious grin. "Heh. I am a professional, ain't I?"

Takara returned it tenfold, teeth catching the fluorescent lighting. "Maybe you can give me some pointers?"

"You bet!" He zipped over to her side with lightning speed and began to list off tips. "First ya gotta check the prices and see what's the cheapest. But you also have to make sure that it's good quality and not gross. There was this one time where I bought some apples on sale and they were all bruised and stuff. When I told the store guy, they didn't give me my money back. So now I'm extra careful when buying stuff like that. But you don't have to worry about that with ramen - " Takara pulled a face at the word " - 'cause it doesn't go bad or anything. That's reason number twenty-five why I love it!"

"I can tell," she said, eyeing the shopping basket piled with the noodles.

Catching her glance, the blond laughed. "Uh-huh. Best food in the world! This stuff isn't half as good as old man Ichiraku's but I can only go there on special occasions. Usually Iruka-sensei takes me."

"Ichiraku's, huh?" Takara mused. "I've heard that place is really good." Even if they did serve ramen.

"You have no idea! Wait - you never been?" The way he said it made it sound like a horrible tragedy.

"I haven't gotten 'round to it yet," she said, tucking a piece of auburn hair behind her ear.

"You need to!" he insisted. "You haven't lived until you've had Ichiraku ramen!"

That made her laugh and hold up her hands. "Okay, okay! But it'll have to wait for a bit. Money's a little tight right now."

Up close, Takara could see just how blue his eyes were as he looked at her seriously. "Alright. Soon as you get the chance, do it!"

"Definitely." She nodded. "I'll just settle for instant ramen until then. Wanna help me pick some out?"

Next thing Takara knew, she and the boy were going through the ramen row after row. The boy was grinning, practically bouncing in his excitement, the whole while.

"How 'bout this one?"

"Eh. I've had chicken-flavored for the past four nights. How's the shrimp?"

"Awesome! Haven't had that in forever." He sent two tumbling into his basket.

"Cheddar ramen?" Takara held the styrofoam cup and pulled a face.

"It's actually not that bad."

"I think I'll pass on tht. How 'bout this one?"

"This brand's better!"

"Eh? But this one's cheaper."

"It doesn't taste as good. Trust me."

"_You_ trust _me_. Every piece of ryo counts."

"Fine. At least give this one a try."

"I'm not putting anything in my mouth that has 'chili' and 'lime'."

"But it's sooo good!"

"Get out of here."

"You don't know what you're missing, lady."

They continued on like that for a while longer, debating over the ramen choices available. Takara managed to get a few laughs out of the blond boy which in turn caused her cheeks to swell. She missed interacting with younger kids (Lee, Neji, and Tenten simply weren't the same as other children). It reminded the auburn-haired girl of time spent with her two younger brothers. The little ramen enthusiast was like Riku in a lot of ways; for that alone, Takara took a liking to him. His constant energy enthused her and made her more playful than usual.

"Pardon me," a snide voice interrupted. Takara and the boy looked around to see an irritable store employee who glowered at them, mustache twitching. "You're _disturbing_ the other customers."

Immediately apologetic, Takara gave the man an earnest smile and said, "Oh, sorry about that. We got a little carried away."

"It's fine, miss," he said, barely glancing at her. "I'm more concerned about_ him_."

It was then Takara noticed that his glare was not directed at _them._ No, it was focused solely on her short, blond-haired companion. Glancing at him, Takara saw how he seemed to cringe slightly and look away. He avoided meeting her gaze.

"I'm sorry?" she said slowly, looking back at the employee in confusion.

"We don't exactly...appreciate his being here." The man seemed to measure his words carefully, slightly suggesting something that was beyond Takara's comprehension. He flashed her a meaningful look.

Her eyes narrowed. "What do you have against him? He's just a kid."

Said kid stared open mouthed at her, shocked.

"You're not from around here, are you?" the store employee noted. "I should've guessed by your accent. A farmer, right?"

"And what if I am?" she retorted, cheeks flaming. The civilian could feel her temper rising.

"Of course an outsider wouldn't know," he muttered quietly. The man sent the blond another dark look who quickly looked to the floor.

"Know what?" she demanded sharply, taking a defensive step in front of the boy. Her long frame almost blocked him entirely from the man's hostile stare. Takara did not like that look; she did not like it at all.

The man shook his head at her apparent ignorance. "Listen, miss, it's best if you don't even bother. He's - ."

"What, nine?" Takara challenged.

"Eleven," corrected the boy. She shushed him.

"That _brat_ is a...troublemaker," the employee struggled to explain, speaking through gritted teeth. His eyes burned with such..._hatred?_ "Always pulling pranks and causing a nuisance. The village would be better off without him."

She physically jerked back at that, recoiling from those venomous words. Her eyes widened then subsequently narrowed.

Hinamori Takara was generally a calm, easy going person. More often than not, she received complaints on being too laid back about things. Rarely did the girl become angry, let alone enraged. But even Takara had her limits. There were lines one did not cross with her. And when she felt the boy flinch behind her, that man had crossed one of those lines - and it was one of the big ones.

Her shopping bag dropped to the floor, scattering cups of ramen everywhere.

"_Excuse_ me?"

The grocery store employee blinked, taken aback by the sudden aggression twisting her features. This person went from a polite, sheepish girl one moment to a vicious, terrifying woman the next.

"Uh, Miss?"

"Listen here, you - you! " Takara struggled for a moment, ever aware of the listening ears behind her. "Ferret!"

The man stared, bewildered. He sputtered, "F-ferret?

"That's right. You sniveling little ferret. With your twitchy nose and beady eyes. Who do you think you are?" Takara approached him, towering over the smaller man with her extra height. He immediately backtracked but she pursued, poking him in the chest with harsh jabs. "Where do you get off saying stuff like that? Do you just like picking on little kids? Huh? Do ya?"

"Pardon, Miss, but - "

"But what? What? Something else to say? Got another thing to add?" Takara hissed like an angry cat, her green eyes blazing. "What is it? Come on, speak up. I can't hear you, old man."

"You don't understand!"

"Understand what?"

"If you knew what kind of _demon_ - "

"_What_ did you just call him?" she shrieked.

"M-miss?"

"Don't you 'miss' me. If you think you can talk to _him_ that way, then there's no way I'm letting you get away with addressing me so politely. Unless you treat him the same."

Ferret was still trying to get in a word but Takara never gave him the chance.

"You should be absolutely ashamed with yourself. I know I am! You call _yourself_ a human being? YOU'RE the demonic one here. Talking to a child like that! You _disgust_ me. You shouldn't be working here. Is this how you treat all your customers? The boy was trying buy his ramen!"

"Yeah, yeah I was!" the blond piped up.

"Quiet, you!" Takara snapped. "Let me handle this."

"Yes, ma'am!"

She went back to tongue lashing the ferret. "You think you can just get away with it? Is that why you treat him like that? Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You've got another thing coming, pal! I want to speak to your manager right this instant!"

"What?" he squeaked. Ferret, indeed.

"You heard me! Take me to him or you know what? Never mind. I want you to bring him here."

"I-I can't do that," the ferret stuttered. "My manager is on break right now."

Takara sneered. "Then I guess he's not going to be too happy when you interrupt him."

"But - "

"Now!"

He immediately scurried away on spindly legs much like the little animal he was nicknamed for. Takara scoffed quietly, watching him weave through the aisles with scornful eyes.

_"Damn_ ferret..." she muttered before turning to the blond boy, her expression softening into a concerned one. She asked quietly, "You okay, hun?"

"Are you kidding me? That was amazing!" He looked at her with complete awe. "No one's ever done that for me before."

Something about the statement made Takara frown. "You mean he's picked on you before?"

"Well..." The kid rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. "Not him exactly."

"Others have been mean to you?"

A shrug but no eye contact. He seemed more intent on the floor.

"Is it because...?" Takara did not finish the sentence, shaking her head. "No, never mind."

It must have been because he had no parents to speak of, she assumed. Without anyone to protect him, what was there to stop people from hurting him like that? People could be so cruel.

Looking at the boy, Takara felt as though her heart had melted and settled into her stomach. Her face fell into a sympathetic one. His expression was just so _sad_. Like a kicked puppy in the rain. It made her want to give him a hug.

"Oh, _sweetie_..."

So she did just that. Takara was not one to stifle her emotions, let alone her maternal impulses.

The boy froze in her arms, small body stiffening at the unexpected - _gentle_ - contact. He had never been hugged before - not even by Iruka-sensei. Overwhelmed, he latched onto this strange lady who showed him such kindness. He squeezed her onto so tightly it almost constricted Takara's ability to breathe.

Smiling, Takara pulled away slightly. "What's your name, kiddo?"

He returned the smile with a hundred watt grin. "Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Naruto, huh?" Her eyes glimmered. "It's nice to meet'cha. I'm Hinamori Takara."

* * *

"Un-_fucking_-believable," Takara muttered. She allowed more expletives to rush passed her lips as she stomped up the stairs.

Kakashi heard the civilian girl come pounding up behind him and paused. Looking up from his book, he turned around to see her orange-haired head appear first before followed by the rest of her long frame. He blinked at the enraged expression on her face.

_This is new._ Intrigued at the new development in his little neighbor, the copy nin actually lowered _Icha Icha Paradise_ (he'd just finished the good part, anyway). Kakashi watched her stalk by him without even a greeting.

Wait - no greeting?

"Hello, Hinamori," he said lightly.

She spared him a swift glance, eyebrows scrunched together in a furious crease. "Hi, Kakashi-san," she said shortly before rummaging through her pockets.

Responsive but no attempt at further conversation. While Kakashi found this refreshing, the entire situation just felt...off.

He was mot sure if he liked it.

* * *

**While writing this chapter, I just kept picturing Kushina cheering Takara on from in Heaven. There's no counting how many times she's wanted to do what Taka-chan did. Mama Fox would have taken someone OUT. **

**I was really tempted to have Takara chase the ferret around the store but she's not a violent person. At least, not physically. So that was out. Also, I wasn't planning on introducing Naruto to her this soon but hey, it moved the story along, didn't it? What did you guys think of her interaction with Naruto? Was HE in character? I'm afraid I made it too mushy but because Takara is such an emotional, touchy-feely person, you're going to get that a lot. Plus she has thing about kids where if you hurt one, she hurts you.**

**Dear god, what have I unleashed upon Kakashi? He hasn't even seen the worst of his neighbor yet. If you guys have any ideas, let me know! The more material I can use to torture - I mean, "socialize" Kakashi, the better.**

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long. It's my senior year, and I have a LOT that needs to get done. Plus there's a little fact that I've been flirting with another fandom and begun writing stories for THAT one.**

**Any of you guys watch Shingeki no Kyoji? If so, message me so we can fangirl (or boy?) over it together. **

**Fun fact: One of the natural predators of ferrets is the fox.**


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